Boxing fans were eager for a marquee matchup between Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko this year. But those hopes were dashed. Lomachenko, who became a world champion for the fourth time in May, pulled out of the potential fight, citing personal reasons.

To the diehard fans, the news was a crushing blow. There’s been a prevalent discussion suggesting ‘Loma’ kept himself out of Shakur Stevenson‘s lane. The Newark-born southpaw later rewarded ‘Lomachenko’ with the most unique of monikers, ‘Duck’chencko’. Jokes aside, the latest developments have put the two-time Olympic gold medalist under the scanner. While speculations about his retirement run wild, former two-division champion Timothy ‘Tim’ Bradley weighed in with his candid thoughts.

Timothy Bradley’s Perspective

“Got to be fair across the board; you know you want to call this a duck; it’s a duck; there’s no doubt about it,” said the voice attributed to ‘The Desert Storm’. However he reasoned, there’s more to the plot than meets the eye. Fans don’t recall ‘Loma’ avoiding tough fights. But of late, he has started avoiding key matchups.

Taking up Shakur Stevenson’s example, he said, “However, when I look at him and how he’s been behaving as of late, I think about the fact that this isn’t only once; this isn’t one time; this is twice now.” Bradley highlighted how both Stevenson and Lomachenko were part of the Top Rank stable at one point in time.

However, when Stevenson sought a fight, ‘Loma’ reportedly declined the offer. Perhaps Bradley was referring to last year’s situation. After defeating ‘Loma’ in May, Devin Haney vacated his WBC lightweight belt and moved up a division to face Regis Prograis.

By April, Shakur Stevenson announced his arrival in the 135-pound division. Thus a fight between the foremost ranking Lomachenko and the new challenger for the vacant title became a huge possibility. “So not only did he duck Shakur, he also ducked Tank,” said Timothy Bradley.

‘The Desert Storm’ took a philosophical route. Or perhaps speaking from his experience, he emphasized that fighters often know what they can accomplish and what they cannot.  ‘Tim’ Bradley said, “I’m sure he and his team don’t want him to go out on his shield getting knocked out or getting embarrassed.”

He picked George Kambosos Jr.‘s example. Vasyl Lomachenko took the fight because he was confident about outboxing the Australian former champion in his backyard. “He knew that was a fight that he can win, and he can win a belt and go out on a high, though I think that this is it for Loma; I don’t think Loma returns,” Bradley concluded.

Vasyl Lomachenko: Speculations About Retirement

The buzz around Lomachenko’s retirement was amplified by a parody tweet, which prompted the WBC to post a tribute to the Ukrainian champion’s contributions to boxing. Though the post was later deleted, it sparked further discussions about Lomachenko’s next steps.

When Fight Hub TV founder Marcos Villegas checked, Bob Arum recalled a conversation he had with Loma, his father and manager. At the time, ‘Loma’ was still in Los Angeles. But later, he expressed his desire to spend time with his children and mentioned he would be returning to Ukraine. “He will contact me after the new year about whether he wants to fight who he wants to fight, so that’s the best I can do,” replied the veteran promoter.

Villegas inquired whether the talks for a ‘Tank’ Davis face-off will resume. Arum appeared quite optimistic, stating that it will be a great fight. But there were other options to explore as well—the clash against Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis.

For now, fans can only speculate and hope for positive news regarding Lomachenko’s career.

What about you? Do you believe Lomachenko is avoiding tougher fights, or is there more to the story?