FORMER lightweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko has been hailed a ‘hero’ for giving up the chance to win back his belts to fight in Ukraine.
Ukrainian media reported Lomachenko joined the Belgorod-Dniester Terror Defence Battalion soon after Russia invaded his homeland.
He was pictured in army uniform with a machine gun slung over his shoulder.
And now promoter Bob Arum has revealed a ‘deal in principle’ to fight had been agreed between Lomachenko’s camp and undisputed champion George Kambosos Jr.
But the 34-year-old’s service in Ukraine means Australian Kambosos is now close to pursing an alternative opponent.
Lomachenko is one of a number of Ukrainian boxers, including the Klitscko brothers and Oleksandr Usyk, who have joined the fight against Russia.
Arum told Fight Club: “Vasiliy was, before this conflict broke out, was training in Greece.”
He continued: “Now what he could’ve done was fly — he couldn’t fly into Ukraine — so he flew back to Romania and got a car and drove over the border to be with his family and enlist in the defence of Ukraine.”
Lomachenko lost his belts to Teofimo Lopez back in 2020, but two victories since then had put him on the verge of another title fight.
But Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine led to Lomachenko heading home in order to defend his country.
And in doing so a planned bout against Kambosos scheduled for June in Australia has effectively been scuppered.
Arum added: “He felt his obligation was to the people of Ukraine and he was gonna stand and fight against the Russian aggression.
“Now that to me is real heroism. And not that, it hit really in the pocketbook because he’s no fool, we had a deal in principle with Lou DiBella for him to fight Kambosos in Australia in June and that fight now is obviously in jeopardy because he is in Ukraine fighting for his people.”
An alternative opponent for Kambosos instead of Lomachenko is American hard hitter Devin Haney.
Eddie Hearn confirmed last week that talks were underway between the two camps.
Elsewhere Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis have also been touted as potential next bouts for Kambosos.
