Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr share an opponent with an unhappy ending.
Both men lost in undisputed world title fights to recently-vacated champion Devin Haney. It was announced today that the two former champions will collide for the vacant IBF lightweight title on May 12 in Perth, Australia.
Kambosos (21-2, 10 KOs) relinquished the three belts he won in an upset against Teofimo Lopez to Haney, losing back-to-back fights by unanimous-decision in Melbourne. Haney defended his undisputed crown against Lomachenko seven months later in Las Vegas, the contest nowhere near as clearcut, but Haney got the nod from all three judges at the MGM Grand.
“If we are talking about my fight with Haney, in my opinion I don’t lose this fight,” Lomachenko said by video call at today’s official press conference. “If we are talking about Kambosos-Haney, Kambosos had two chances, but he lost.”
Kambosos responded from location in Perth: “I respect that, I respect what he said. I’m not here to say who won, who lost. Whatever happened is in the past, I’m focused on May 12. If we do go to the past, look I don’t want to be disrespectful here. Yes, I lost to Devin Haney, but there is a guy in Teofimo Lopez where you had your chance as well. Unfortunately you didn’t take your chance there, I did.
“It was political that they didn’t want to say I was undisputed, but deep down we paid that sanctioning fee to the WBC. I was undisputed champion of the world, but it doesn’t bother me. May 12 is a new day, May 12 is going to be a very exciting day, and what a fight it is going to be. Kambosos-Lomachenko in Perth. This is what matters, this is my main focus. The past is the past.”
