Stevenson and Ryan Garcia are ideal candidates to fight Lomachenko

Less than a week ago, while talking about the most anticipated fights of the second half of 2022, we considered the possibility of returning to the ring former world champion in three weight categories Vasyl Lomachenko. Late last week, Top Rank, representing Loma’s interests, said the Ukrainian was also considering resuming a career he put on hold when he enlisted in territorial defense after the Russian invasion. Moreover, according to Lomachenko’s promoters, Vasily will be ready to enter the ring in October.

After analyzing the state of affairs in the Ukrainian division, Sport Arena found two ideal rivals for Lomachenko. Although both boxers, whom we identified as potential opponents of Vasily, have much in common, each of the cases has its own nuances.

Shakur Stevenson: Fight for Legacy

The 25-year-old American, who has no defeats in the professional ring, has repeatedly (the last time a couple of days ago) declared his desire to fight Lomachenko. And it seems that this is really an ideal option for the Ukrainian, while Kambosos and Haney are occupied with champion showdowns for the title of “absolute” in his division (revenge has not yet been announced, but I think this is a matter of the coming weeks), and Davis is looking for more convenient rivals.

Yes, for the sake of the fight with Stevenson, Vasily will have to go down a division, which he left as a champion just because of the lack of “absolute” prospects, but this is unlikely to be a problem for the Ukrainian. And two belts – WBC and WBO – will be additional incentives for this.

Stevenson is not only very popular in the US, but also represents the same promotional company as Lomachenko – Top Rank. Shakur has an excellent amateur school, he is the silver medalist of the 2016 Olympics. Stevenson is technically well-versed and has good experience in the pros: despite the fact that he made his debut in the professional ring almost four years later than Lomachenko, they have the same number of fights as the Ukrainian – nine each, and his track record includes very worthy Valdes, Herring and Rolled up. Like the Ukrainian in his time, Stevenson seems to have gotten rid of some serious opposition in the division and needs a serious challenge, which, no doubt, should be a fight with one of the best P4P boxers.

For the 34-year-old Lomachenko himself, defeating a younger, but no less gifted and trained opponent will be a big contribution to his boxing legacy, given all the circumstances that the Ukrainian has faced and faces. Plus, it will bring solid prize money: the fight Stevenson – Lomachenko will sell well and will definitely cause much more interest than the duel of the Ukrainian with the same Nakatani.

True, in addition to returning Lomachenko to his former weight category, there are several other nuances in organizing his fight with Stevenson. On September 23, the American is scheduled to defend titles in a duel against the Brazilian Robson Conceicao. Secondly, the fight with Stevenson in the current circumstances is a big risk. The American is more active (three fights in the last year, against Lomachenko’s three fights in two years), is not inferior to the Ukrainian in technical equipment, and is also much younger, which is a significant factor for light weights. With these openings, the risk of losing for Lomachenko will be quite high, casting doubt on further championship prospects.

Ryan Garcia: fight for money and popularity

American Garcia is younger than Stevenson – Ryan is 23 years old – and does not currently have champion titles to his credit. But on the other hand, he has incredible popularity among fans, an excellent track record of 22 wins (18 by knockout) in 22 fights held in the professional ring, great ambitions and a good amateur school: albeit without great success, but 215 victorious fights out of 230 held in lovers say a lot.

Garcia only in the last year and a half began to receive serious opponents – Campbell and Tagoe – but he coped with the exam brilliantly. Ryan also needs a really big challenge, and his popularity and resulting ability to sell a fight makes him a desirable contender for any of the top divisions.

To fight Garcia Lomachenko will not have to go down in weight. The American only in April had his last fight in the professional ring so far and has no opponent. But, like Lomachenko, he is still far from a title fight, unless, of course, Davis challenges him. And the potential duel with the Ukrainian itself seems to be a win-win situation for Ryan.

A possible win over Lomachenko would give Garcia respect and lift him up the rankings significantly. No one will condemn for a defeat, given, with all due respect to the American, the difference in class between the boxers. For Lomachenko, a fight with a popular but less skilled opponent is a great way to remind yourself, test your skills in a fight with a younger and more powerful opponent. And also the opportunity to make good money.

The only caveat is the promotion of the American. The Golden Boy company is very competently leading Garcia, rightly believing that this is one of its main assets today. Whether they want to risk not so much a “zero” in the “defeat” column of their ward, but a potential declassification of a fighter, which Lomachenko did with more serious opponents, is a big question. But if Golden fight and Garcia take those risks, it’s going to be a very exciting fight, given the now hackneyed phrase that “styles make fights.”

In the meantime, let’s stock up on patience, believe in Ukraine’s victory in the war with Russia, and wait for official announcements from Lomachenko and Top Rank.