Vasiliy Lomachenko to Face Shakur Stevenson With Win Over George Kambosos

Vasiliy Lomachenko’s dream of becoming undisputed champion could be close to reality if he beats George Kambosos Jr. for the IBF lightweight title this Sunday.

Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic champion, missed out on achieving his dream last time out in a narrow loss to Devin Haney, with many believing that his hand should have been raised. But now Lomachenko has a chance to pick up one of those four belts this weekend in Australia. According to his promoter, Bob Arum, victory over Kambosos will not just give Lomachenko a world title but also a shot at another belt – and WBC titleholder Shakur Stevenson.

“I have this other fighter, Shakur Stevenson,” Arum told Sky Sports. “So if Lomachenko wins, and Shakur –who is scheduled to fight in July – wins, then for the fall to do a Lomachenko-Shakur fight. Every serious boxing fan will be watching that in awe, between two great technicians fighting for a unified title. Let’s see what happens. Kambosos is very good. Even though he doesn’t come from Perth, he’s fighting on home territory, which means something.”

Arum believes that Kambosos won’t be an easy fight for Lomachenko, after the Australian previously upset the odds to dethrone unified champion Teofimo Lopez – a man who had previously beaten Lomachenko. Additionally, age is not on the side of Lomachenko, 36, and Arum thinks it could play a factor after earlier in the week the Ukrainian admitted he doesn’t have long left in the sport.

“Kambosos is a real threat,” Arum said. “He can get up for a fight, he’s very talented. Lomachenko is super-talented, but again there is his age, particularly in the lighter-weight divisions, where age is more of a factor than in the heavyweight divisions.”

If Lomachenko is victorious this weekend and collects the IBF title, then after a fight with WBC titlist Stevenson, he will be aiming to face the winner of Emanuel Navarrete-Denys Berinchyk for the WBO title on May 18. This could make a blockbuster matchup against WBA belt holder Gervonta Davis for the undisputed lightweight championship next year.