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The undisputed title dreams of Vasiliy Lomachenko appeared to be his for the taking. Yet, with the former two-time Olympic gold medalist lending a helping hand to his native country of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, he opted to place his career on hold. Now, after spending approximately a year near the heart of the war, Lomachenko (16-2, 11 KOs) is set to return to the ring on October 29th, against Jamaine Ortiz.
Should the pound-for-pound star pull off the victory, he’s openly admitted that next up, he would love to share the ring with the winner of Devin Haney vs. George Kambosos Jr. But, despite his ambitions, Shakur Stevenson has brazenly made the move to 135-pounds after failing to make the 130-pound weight limit in his last showing.
Following his one-sided drubbing against Robson Conceicao, Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs) revealed that matchups against Haney and Lomachenko are at the top of his list. With a possible showdown against his fellow Olympian very much a possibility, Lomachenko publicly confessed that Stevenson’s overall skills are of the elite variety.
“He’s a good boxer,” said Lomachenko to a group of reporters. “He’s a smart boxer, very technical boxer.”
As Lomachenko alludes to, Stevenson has been lauded for his all-around skill. But, from Lomachenko’s perspective, his praise of Stevenson comes from a much more personal level. Shortly after capturing silver in the 2016 Olympic Games, Stevenson was called in to work with the now 34-year-old in numerous sparring sessions.
By and large, Lomachenko admits that their previous in-ring experiences with one another were memorable. However, at this stage in Stevenson’s career, considering his more bulked-up physique, Lomachenko views their previous encounters as essentially inconsequential in a possible future showdown.
“When I sparred with him, it was 126, 130-pounds. Now he’s much bigger. I think he has much more power. So now it would be very interesting.”