It is too early to rule out Lomachenko’s retirement. Declassifies opponents even at 36 years old
Sergey Sorokin May 12, 2024, 11:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Vasily is not a tasty morsel, but he is the most dangerous challenge for the champions.
On May 12, a great boxing evening took place in Perth (Australia) that attracted a lot of public attention. The main event of the tournament was the lightweight title fight for the vacant IBF belt between Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos. Loma returned to the ring after a controversial loss to Devin Haney in the fight for the absolute world champion title. But the ruling did not break Vasily. He got back into the ring and showed the utmost professionalism of him.
Let’s remember all the brightest details of the tournament:
Lomachenko – Kambosos: Loma knocked out the Australian and became world champion again
Lomachenko entered the fight with a dangerous opponent at the limit of his motivation. He really wanted to win back his world championship belt. It is true that Kambosos, 30 years old, seemed like a very serious opposition. But this was not noticed in the ring. Vasily literally walked on the Australian as if he were a skating rink. He outclassed his opponent in absolutely every aspect, so naturally he knocked him out with a body blow in the eleventh round. The method of victory seems very symbolic: Lomachenko forced Kambosos to his knees, exhausted him and delivered a fatal attack.
It is worth noting that at 36 years old, Lomachenko is a unique boxer. He performs on equal terms with the best in a division where there is very serious competition and the average age is much lower. To say this, just look at the rating. Shakur Stevenson is only 26, Gervonta Davis is 29, William Cepeda is 27, Frank Martin is 29. And if you take those guys in the top 10 below, they’re even younger! And against the background of these talents and perspectives, Vasily is not at all lost. It’s not just about experience. Lomachenko doesn’t suffer much in terms of fitness and movement. He looked great against Haney and Kambosos. Therefore, it is too early to rule out the boxer.
Vasili Lomachenko
Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
It is worth noting that before the fight, Lomachenko himself thought about a possible retirement. Vasily suggested that he might hang up his gloves very soon: “If we talk about age in boxing and in weight categories, then I agree: I am already old. What about super heavyweight? At 36 years old, many heavyweights are just getting started. But my career is almost over. How many more years will it last? One year, two, three, that’s all. But I think I still have some strength. How many years exactly will I continue fighting? I don’t know myself yet. This is a tough question. At this age, every fight is hard. It is also not easy to recover after fights.”
But with Kambosos, Vasily clearly demonstrated that he was openly modest. He boxed simply phenomenal; He seemed much more powerful and skilled than his opponent. And now Lomachenko can hardly become a “snack” for the top of the division. Of course, a victory over such an eminent athlete can be one of the brightest moments in the career of any of the guys. However, Vasily is still incredibly dangerous. He gives the feeling that not even Gervonta and Shakur will be able to dominate Loma.
Loma has restarted his career and is interested in the top:
Lomachenko returns to the top! Vasily ran over Kambosos and gave him back the world champion belt
Lomachenko is a true veteran of the lightweight division; There are simply no leaders of that age in the division. But Vasily showed that he is not a “downed pilot” nor one more victory in the history of his young opponents. And now Stevenson and Davis must be careful. Loma only talks about a possible withdrawal, and he himself can make another attempt to reach the absolute level. And there is absolute potential for this.
