Vasiliy Lomachenko says there should be no debate when it comes to picking the greatest Australian boxer right now – stressing “it’s not a hard” choice – while also revealing he could be out of the sport within a year.
One of the biggest names in world boxing, Lomachenko is set to throw down against Australia’s George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos in Perth for the vacant IBF lightweight crown this Sunday.
As part of the blockbuster fight card, Kambosos will also be putting his IBO strap on the line in what could undeniably the biggest win in a hyped few months also involving the nation’s three other biggest fight names – Tim Tszyu, Jai Opetaia and Jason Moloney.
Yet exactly which of the four is No.1?
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That question sparks plenty of debate given Kambosos is the lightweight division’s former unified king – and has never lost to anyone not named Devin Haney – while Opetaia is the greatest cruiserweight on the plant and Moloney the only Aussie holding a genuine world title as of Monday morning.
Tszyu, meanwhile, is making plenty of headlines globally and looks to be just one win away from a shot at Terence Crawford.
Less than two months after being dethroned as WBO super welterweight champ, ‘The Soul Taker’ has already signed on for a blockbuster August showdown against undefeated US phenom Vergil Ortiz Jnr – with the winner, undeniably, a chance to face the superstar topping the same card Crawford.
Moloney, meanwhile, will look to defend against Japan’s Yoshiki Takei at the Tokyo Dome on Monday night (AEST) while Opetaia rematches Mairis Briedis for the vacant IBF title later this month.
Yet ‘Loma’ says he cannot see how the nod for Australia’s best can go to anyone but Kambosos (21-2), a fighter who shocked the world by unifying the lightweight division in 2021 and has only the two defeats against Haney.
Yet the Ukrainian superstar has also warned that, while ‘Ferocious’ may be No.1 Down Under right now, the aggressive, walk forward style that puts him atop said list will also bring him undone when they contest two lightweight titles, Sunday.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia over the weekend, Lomachenko said it wasn’t difficult for him to pick Australia’s top fighter from a list of stars that also includes Sam Goodman, Liam Paro, Andrew Moloney and Liam Wilson.
“It’s George Kambosos,” he said simply.
“And it’s not a hard (choice).
“It’s the numbers.
“That’s it.
“George has been an undefeated world champion, he’s had the four titles … he is a true warrior who is always trying to win his fights.
“That’s good for boxing.
“And of course, he understands boxing too.”
Yet later in his interview, Lomachenko suggested that same ‘warrior’ attitude also suited his own hyped style, which has seen him hold multiple world titles from featherweight to lightweight.
Speaking during a recent Top Rank video to promote the fight, ‘Loma’ suggested that the aggressive way Kambosos approaches opponents in the ring “is good for my style”.
Asked to expand by Fox Sports Australia, he said: “George’s style is very, very aggressive.
“He has power.
“So it means his style it’s very good for me.
“I’m comfortable.
“He has power, speed and always moves forward.
“Styles make fights and we’ve prepared hard.”
A sell crowd of 16,000 is being tipped for a RAC Arena fight that sees Kambosos as wide as $7 with some oddsmakers given he dropped consecutive fights against Haney before, most recently, winning the IBO strap in an unconvincing performance against Englishman Maxi Hughes.
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Lomachenko, meanwhile, has not fought since also losing to Haney last May, however the title fight was an incredibly intense affair that left many convinced the Ukrainian was robbed.
Yet perhaps the biggest question mark now hanging over the favourite is his age, with many convinced, at 36, the number is finally set to catch up with him next Sunday afternoon.
Indeed, when asked about the talk over the weekend, ‘Loma’ conceded that he was indeed an “old man” and revealed he may have no more than a year left in the sport he has headlined for so long.
“If you are talking about ages in boxing, and weight classes, I agree … I’m old man,” he said.
“But heavyweight?
“At 36 a lot of heavyweights can start at this age.
“But my career is almost done, of course.
“How many years it’s going to be, one, two, three, that’s it.
“But I think I still have a little bit of power”.
When it was put if we could ask, specifically, about it being one, two, or three more years, he laughed: “No, you can’t ask me because I don’t know.
“I don’t know.
“It’s a hard question.
“At this age, every fight is hard.
“It’s hard to recover after fights.
“I don’t know what will happen with my body after this fight and that’s why I can’t give you an answer to this question.”
Elsewhere, the superstar said he had endured no dramas with either his long flight into Perth, or acclimatising to the time changes, and everything else, since touching down.
“Since we’ve arrived in Perth everything is good,” he said simply.
“I like it.
“I’m looking forward to next Sunday.”
Source Agencies
