Vasiliy Lomachenko issues timeline for his in-ring return after aiding Ukraine vs. Russian invasion

Vasiliy Lomachenko (16-2, 11 KOs) has finally expressed his intention to return to the squared circle after spending much of the year defending his homeland against Russian troops.

‘Hi-Tech’ joined the Ukrainian military forces in February to help defend his country alongside fellow professional boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Five months later, Top Rank president Todd duBoef said the former three-division world champion would like to return to the ring as soon as October.

Check out ESPN’s Instagram post on Vasiliy Lomachenko’s return:

Prior to joining the Ukrainian military, Lomachenko was in talks to fight George Kambosos Jr., who was then the unified lightweight world champion.

Kambosos has since lost his belts to the current undisputed world lightweight champion, Devin Haney. With the two expected to compete in a rematch, Lomachenko will have to wait for his crack at the 135 pound titles.

If Kambosos decides to not to go through with the rematch, Haney has floated two fights that he would like the most, one of which is a matchup with the WBC and WBO No.1-ranked lightweight, Lomachenko.

Haney (28-0, 15 KO's) and Lomachenko share the same promoter in Top Rank, so business talks for a potential showdown would be no problem.

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Vasiliy Lomachenko’s possible opponents

It remains to be seen who Vasiliy Lomachenko will face in his boxing return, but considering the talent in the lightweight division, the 34-year-old Ukrainian will not lack an attractive option.

With Devin Haney and George Kambosos Jr. set for a rematch and Ryan Garcia scheduled to face Javier Fortuna, the options left for Lomachenko boild down to Gervonta Davis, Isaac Cruz, and Michel Rivera. A match against Jeremiah Nakathila, who brutalized Miguel Berchelt earlier this year, could also be an option.

A rematch with Teofimo Lopez will also be a guaranteed attraction. The pair fought in a highly-competitive 12 round affair in October 2020, which ended with Lopez collecting Lomachenko’s WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles via unanimous decision.

Thirteen months later, Lopez lost the belts to Kambosos in shocking fashion. He has yet to fight since then but is reportedly scheduled to face Pedro Campa next month.