Promoter Bob Arum has three possible options for Vasily Lomachenko’s next fight following his win over George Kambosos Jr. last Saturday night in Perth, Australia.
These are the three fighters Arum mentioned as possibilities for IBF lightweight champion Lomachenko:
– Gervonta Davis
– Shakur Stevenson
– Emanuel Navarrete
Arum’s Preference: Shakur Stevenson
Arum seems keen on Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) fighting WBC lightweight champion Shakur next. The reasons are obvious. Shakur’s contract with Top Rank ends on July 6th with his title defense against Artem Harutyunyan.
- Contractual Considerations
- Title Retention
- Long-Term Implications
If Lomachenko fights Shakur, he might re-enlist with Top Rank for more time. It would also keep the winner of the fight with the titles staying with Top Rank rather than going to PBC, which would be the case if Lomachenko fought WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and lost to him.
If PBC gets the IBF title from Lomachenko, it could take years for a Top Rank fighter to regain that belt. That’s if Tank Davis chooses to hold onto it rather than give it up to avoid having to pay an extra sanctioning fee.
The Goal: Unifying the Belts
“The idea here in the sport is to win the belts, to win all four belts,” said promoter Bob Arum during the post-fight press conference, talking about Vasily Lomachenko’s next fight following his win over George Kambosos Jr. last Saturday night.
“So you can take an inventory. Tank Davis is fighting Frank Martin, and it’s a good fight, and we’ll see who wins that fight. Navarrete fights next Saturday in San Diego, which is going to be on ESPN for a [WBO] lightweight championship.
“He [Navarrete] was the 130-lb champion and now he’s going up to 135. So, he’s a possibility. Shakur Stevenson is fighting in July in Newark, defending his WBC. So, he’s a possibility. There are probably others,” said Arum about options for Lomachenko’s next fight.
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