Vasyl Lomachenko Announces His Retirement From Boxing

Forbes

3 days ago

On Thursday, 37-year-old IBF lightweight champion and future Hall-of-Famer Vasyl Lomachenko officially announced his retirement from boxing. He leaves the pro ranks with an 18-3, 12 KOs record, but an amateur mark that was an unfathomable 396-1.
Lomachenko will vacate the IBF strap, and the governing body will likely push for a bout to settle their title in the next few months.
Loma's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank posted a tribute to him on X.
Lomachenko turned pro in 2013, and he could have elected to fight tomato cans to pad his record, but he didn't. The masterful Ukrainian southpaw went directly into world-title contention from Olympic glory in a way that we've rarely seen.
After winning two Olympic golds in two different weight classes, he came to the pro ranks with hoopla and a target on his back. Loma quickly validated the hype as he tore through competition from the outset.
By his third pro fight, he was a world champion at featherweight. By his seventh, he won a title in a second division. And for most of the next five years, Lomachenko made elite fighters quit—literally. 'No Más Chenko' earned his filthy nickname by making opponents like Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Jason Sosa decide mid-fight that it wasn't worth continuing.
Lomachenko, who was trained in classical dance to augment his footwork, was among the most graceful fighters of his era.
But as dazzling as his footwork, angles, and punch selection were, the timeline was always against him for a long pro career.
Lomachenko didn't turn pro until he was nearly 26. Completely aware of his timeline, he moved through divisions fast, chasing history and world titles. Unfortunately, injuries—especially to his right shoulder—began to catch up.
Lomachenko's loss to Teofimo Lopez in 2020, after a year of inactivity during the pandemic, marked a turning point. He waited too long to flip the switch in that fight. The younger, bigger Lopez banked early rounds and held on to claim the victory.
After that, Loma recovered and had noteworthy success, even though some of the aura was gone. He stopped Masayoshi Nakatani and defeated Richard Commey convincingly on points. He recovered from a slow start against Jamaine Ortiz to earn a win. But the big goal—undisputed lightweight glory—slipped through his fingers in a razor-close loss to Devin Haney in May 2023.
Many believed he deserved the nod that night, but the judges didn't see it his way.
Lomachenko rebounded again with one of his best performances in years against George Kambosos Jr., dismantling the Aussie and claiming the IBF title at 135. It was a retirement fight disguised as a bounce-back.
While he didn't make the decision immediately and he entertained the thought of a fight with Gervonta Davis, that win allowed him to leave the sport with something in hand.
Lomachenko's decision to step away comes with a full résumé. Two Olympic gold medals. Four world titles in three divisions. It's good to see a fighter leave the sport on his terms.
If you're wondering who will fight for the vacant title, it makes sense for the winner of No. 3 Andy Cruz and No. 5 Hiroshi Mishiro to face No. 4 Mark Magsayo for the vacant title later this year.