Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says his fighter, IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko, could potentially fight Emanuel Navarrete, Gervonta Davis, Frank Martin, or Shakur Stevenson next following his eleventh-round knockout win over George Kambosos Jr. last Saturday night in Perth, Australia.
Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) looked like he’d turned back the clock last Saturday night, showing his old form from years ago in demolishing former unified lightweight champion Kamboso (20-3, 10 KOs) in a two-knockdown, eleventh-round knockout in the main event at the sold-out RAC Arena in Perth.
Shakur Stevenson: An Unlikely Matchup
Bob specifically mentioned that Lomachenko would want the “most lucrative,” which rules out Shakur Stevenson, who isn’t a PPV attraction and likely never will be. That’s a terrible fight for Lomachenko in terms of money, and having to chase him around the ring. Arum might want to let him walk after his July 6th fight and forget about trying to sign him again.
Tank or Navarrete is the way to go for Lomachenko to get the biggest payday. The Baltimore native Tank Davis is defending his secondary WBA lightweight against Frank Martin on June 15th, but he’ll be free after that, and he’s already said he wants to fight Lomachenko next.
Arum would have to work with PBC for him to make a fight between Tank Davis and Lomachenko, but it’s by far the biggest money fight of the bunch.
Arum would have to work hard to put a fight together between Lomachenko and Tank because he would have to work with PBC. Lomachenko is 36, and he can’t afford to miss out on this opportunity.
Ideally, the fight with Tank Davis should have happened seven years ago instead of now, but PBC would have been crazy to let their fighter anywhere near Lomachenko when he was younger.
Arum’s Focus on the Best and Most Lucrative Fight
“There’s [Emanuel] Navarrete fighting for a lightweight title next Saturday, there’s Tank Davis vs. Frank Martin. The winner of that fight is a possibility; Shakur Stevenson is a possibility. He wants to fight the best and wants it to be the most lucrative,” said promoter Bob Arum to Fight Hub TV, talking about who newly crowned IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko could fight next.
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