Former three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko is planning a return to professional boxing after a two-year break.
According to Ring Magazine, the Ukrainian fighter aims to challenge unified junior lightweight titleholder Emanuel Navarrete first.
Lomachenko, who holds an 18-3 record with 12 KOs, last fought in 2024, defeating George Kambosos for the IBF lightweight title.
His potential comeback has reshaped discussions in both the junior lightweight and lightweight divisions.
However, some camps have expressed skepticism about his long-term intentions.
Questions from Opposing Camps
Coach Kenny Ellis from Gervonta Davis's camp questioned Lomachenko's motivation for seeking a high-profile bout against Davis.
“No, I think that ‘Tank’ will be the last one that he picks,” Ellis told boxing247. com.
“He is the most dangerous one.
He is going to take, I am not going to say the easy route, but the [one with] less punishment.
He is going to go that way,” Ellis added.
During an interview with MillCity Boxing, Ellis noted that every lightweight fighter possesses knockout power.
“All of them [lightweight] guys right now, s**t, they can crack, all of ‘em.
So, it is just up to him, which one he wants to get KO’d by,” said Ellis.
The trainer also questioned whether the financial reward of a pay-per-view matchup outweighed Lomachenko's desire for a purely athletic challenge.
“No, [it wouldn’t surprise me if he chose to fight Davis], that is the biggest payday,” said Ellis.
Lomachenko's strategy reportedly involves first challenging Navarrete, who recently defended his IBF and WBO titles against Eduardo Nunez.
According to sports. yahoo.
com, Navarrete holds a distinct size advantage, though Lomachenko is still regarded as one of the most skilled fighters of his generation despite past losses to Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez.
Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk expressed strong enthusiasm for his compatriot's decision.
“If it’s true, it’s good. I like it,” Usyk told Ring Magazine.
Usyk, who is preparing for a title defense against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt, credited Lomachenko's Olympic gold medals as inspiration.
“Listen, my first Olympic Games, after the final where Vasiliy won, I said, 'OK, I too want Olympic gold,'” said Usyk.
The heavyweight champion emphasized that Lomachenko remains a driving force for Ukrainian athletes.
“Loma is like a motivation,” said Usyk.
