Vasiliy Lomachenko Eyeing Undefeated Contender for Comeback Bout

Vasiliy Lomachenko has seemingly picked out his next opponent after announcing his comeback earlier this month.

Vasiliy Lomachenko | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Vasiliy Lomechenko, the three-division world champion and future Hall of Famer, announced his comeback from retirement earlier this month.

Initial reports were that “Loma” was targeting two world champions in his return in a bid to announce himself back to the boxing world. Lomachenko has fought for a world title in 17 of his 21 professional bouts and appears to be pursuing another belt.

Just two weeks after announcing his comeback, boxing fans have an idea of who Lomachenko will face in his return. An official briefed on Lomachenko’s plans told BoxingScene that he is targeting 130-pound contender Charly Suarez. 

Vasiliy Lomachenko | IMAGO/AAP

Suarez is the No. 1-ranked contender in the WBO’s super featherweight rankings and No. 5 in Ring Magazine’s rankings. He’s 18-0 with one no-contest stemming from his controversial fight with unified 130-pound champion Emanuel Navarrete.

Suarez is the mandatory challenger for Navarrete’s WBO title, but the contender from the Philippines could forego the rematch to pursue a fight with the highly popular Lomachenko.

Lomachenko last fought when he KO’d George Kambosos Jr. in a fight for the vacant IBF lightweight title. He outlanded Kambosos 175-40 in the one-sided bout.

Vasiliy Lomachenko wiews Charly Suarez as part of a larger plan

Charly Suarez is the mandatory challenger for Emanuel Navarrete's WBO title, but could choose a fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko instead. | Top Rank

Charly Suarez is viewed as a viable contender, but it’s likely not the type of fight that Lomachenko came out of retirement for.

Lomachenko views Suarez as a path to reach Emanuel Navarrete, an official familiar with Lomachenko told BoxingScene. With Suarez as the mandatory challenger, defeating him would put “Loma” in a prime position to fight for Navarrete’s titles.

Suarez has a fight scheduled for July 11 against Manuel Avila for the WBO International super featherweight title. If he defeats Avila, there’s a likely chance that Lomachenko vs. Suarez will be next, with the winner fighting Navarrete. 

Gervonta “Tank” Davis isn’t in the picture for Vasiliy Lomachenko

After negotiations between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Gervonta Davis fell apart in 2024, the two aren't likely to meet each other in the ring. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

After initially defeating George Kambosos Jr., Vasiliy Lomachenko was in talks to face WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis in a major unification bout, according to ESPN. Negotiations broke off and Lomachenko decided to retire from boxing.

When he announced his return, many believed that Davis could be the fight Lomachenko returned for. However, there have been no negotiations of substance between Lomachenko and Davis’ team, according to BoxingScene.

Davis is likely set to face Floyd Schofield after the WBA ordered a fight between the two. He’s likely to be a large favorite in his title defense.