Vasiliy Lomachenko opened the door for many of his peers not just by his achievements in the ring, but just as much as the person he is, according to hall-of-fame boxing promoter Bob Arum, the CEO of Top Rank Inc.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who was the fastest fighters to win three world titles in three weight classes in twelve fights, as Arum points to Lomachenko as a reason fighters like Artur Beterbiev are with the company.
“Well, I think pretty well everything got colored by my experiences with Lomachenko,” Arum said when speaking with BBC 5 Live Boxing. “I mean you couldn’t get a more cooperative, professional fighter than Vasiliy Lomachenko. So again, when Eastern Europeans knock, now the door was open because of the great experience we had with Lomachenko.”
Lomachenko has fought like a professional inside the ring, but the way he conducted himself outside the ring as a true professional with the brass at Arum’s Top Rank made him a beloved fighter.
“Again, it’s not because of my great foresight, because otherwise it would have been difficult,” said Bob Arum. “It’s because Lomachenko turned out to be such a magnificent guy to promote.”
Since Lomachenko’s run at Top Rank Inc, we have seen an flux of talent from Eastern Europe, as current WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, contender who tragically passed away Maxim Dadashev, light heavyweight unified world champion Artur Beterbiev, all have sustained runs in the company. Lomachenko now hopes to land a May fight against Devin Haney for his all four lightweight world title, which would be rumored to take place on ESPN pay-per-view.
Lomachenko is reportedly on track to face undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney in May on ESPN Pay-Per-View.
With Vasiliy Lomachenko being rumored to face Devin Haney in May of 2023 on ESPN pay-per-view, all eyes have been on his every move to see what the man who wants to challenge for all four belts in the lightweight division is up to.
Promoter Bob Arum explained that the influx of talent such as Artur Beterbiev, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and many other fighters can be directly correlated to Lomachenko.
Arum said when speaking with BBC 5 Live Boxing. you couldn’t get a more cooperative, professional fighter than Vasiliy Lomachenko. So again, when Eastern Europeans knock, now the door was open because of the great experience we had with Lomachenko.
Not just is a Lomachenko a fighter with tremendous accolades, but the relationships he has forged in the sport have now paved new opportunities for future fighters from the Ukraine and neighboring regions.
