Top Rank Boxing promoter Bob Arum set the record straight on where Vasiliy Lomachenko stands right now.
With the WBC ruling that lightweight king Devin Haney will now be the champion-in-recess — meaning he'll fight for the belts when he returns to the weight class — Shakur Stevenson is currently in line to fight for the soon-to-be-vacant WBC crown against the highest-ranked contender.
That's Lomachenko and a matchup between the pair would make for a fantastic fight to say the least. However, it doesn't look likely to happen for now with Stevenson accusing the Ukrainian of ducking him on social media.
Considering both fighters are promoted by Arum, there's no better person to ask what the real story is.
According to the legendary promoter, Vasiliy Lomachenko did decline a fight with Stevenson, but it had more to do with him wanting time off due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine rather than him being scared to fight.
“Lomachenko is balking about fighting this year (not balking at a fight with Stevenson),” Arum told Steve Kim (via Boxing Scene). “He wants to take time off. The situation is still going on in Ukraine and it’s come close to where he lives, with all the bombing of Odessa.
“Really he can’t get focused on fighting. I don’t think it has anything to do with Shakur.”
Arum went on to confirm that the plan is for Stevenson to fight for the WBC title and that it would likely take place mid-November in Las Vegas.
“I don’t know about [Stevenson being] avoided, but we're going to get the best possible opponent and he’s going to fight for the WBC title,” Arum added.
Perhaps Isaac Cruz will end up as his opponent?
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