Is Vasyl Lomachenko Finished?

Fresh off a defeat against Teofimo Lopez, Vasyl Lomachenko’s boxing career is at a crossroads. Arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, his loss against Lopez came as a surprise to many. Even though the controversial scorecard may have dominated the headlines, there are questions about Lomachenko’s future. So, what’s next for the former WBA, WBO, and The Ring lightweight champion? Is Vasyl Lomachenko done with boxing?

Lomachenko usually paces his fights peculiarly but to good effect. However, the game-plan backfired in the unification bout. Lopez took control of the early rounds and dictated the pace of the fight. Although the Ukrainian got back into the fight in the later rounds, the judges’ scorecards revealed that Teofimo Lopez had won the fight unanimously with scores of 117-111, 119-109, 116-112, and was crowned the new unified lightweight champion of the world.

What’s next for Vasyl Lomachenko?

With his promoter Bob Arum confirming that there was no rematch clause, Lomachenko is in a difficult situation. The lightweight division is overflowing with young talented fighters like Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta Davis. This has led to some even speculating that Lomachenko could consider retirement. 

Post-fight, Lomachenko said, “Right now I will go home, I will talk with my promoter and manager, we will discuss and then we will make a decision.”

Thus, confirming that he will not be retiring anytime soon. Even in the late stages of the fight, Vasyl Lomachenko outboxed Lopez. So, it is clear that he still has it, and at 32 years of age, is not slowing down just yet. And this is not the first time the Ukrainian has had to come back from a loss. In his second pro fight, Lomachenko lost to Orlando Salido via split decision. 

Since that loss, ‘Loma’ bounced back and became the fastest three-weight world champion. There is no doubt that he has the ability, and given that he is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, he could be the mandatory challenger sooner rather than later. 

It remains to be seen who Vasyl Lomachenko will fight next. However, boxing fans across the world can be sure that Vasyl Lomachenko is not done with boxing, and he will be back. This loss might even increase the chances of other fascinating fights with other lightweight stars. Either way, we can expect to see the Ukrainian superstar back soon.