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Bob Arum has revealed that there was a deal in place for George Kambosos Jr. vs. Vasily Lomachenko.
'The Emperor' captured the Unified Lightweight Championship in November 2021 with a win over Teofimo Lopez. Following the victory, he was called out by numerous top 135-pound boxers. The Aussie eventually zeroed in on a particular target, Vasily Lomachenko.
The two sides were reportedly in talks for a fight in June. Any real negotiations between the two camps were cut off after Lomachenko returned home to Ukraine to enlist in the military. Now, Bob Arum has revealed that the fight was nearly official.
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The head of Top Rank spoke to Fight Hub TV about how the bout was nearly official before 'Loma' returned home. Arum said:
"We had a deal in principle with Lou DiBella for him to fight Kambosos in Australia in June. That fight obviously is now in jeopardy because he's in Ukraine fighting for his people. Also, there's now an edict that if you're military-aged and Ukrainian you can't get out because you have to fight. But then again, he was out and chose to go back in. Props to Vasily Lomachenko, he's my hero."
Watch Bob Arum discuss George Kambosos vs. Vasily Lomachenko below:
George Kambosos Jr. is now expected to face Devin Haney next
With his bout with Vasily Lomachenko now off the table, George Kambosos Jr. is now expected to face Devin Haney next.
The two men have gone back-and-forth over the past few months on social media. 'The Dream' was reportedly the runner-up to receive the title bout with the Australian before the fight with Lomachenko was made. Now, it seems that a bout between Kambosos Jr. and Haney is expected to happen later this year.
Ahead of a possible summer bout between the two men, the British boxer is confident to say the least. Haney discussed the matchup in a recent interview with iFL TV, saying:
"I got so many different styles, it's just whatever style I bring out on that night. But obviously my speed is number one, my ring IQ. It's just gonna be something totally different than what he's used to. Which, I take my hat off to him, he's a great fighter, but he'll see something different when he get in the ring with me."
