Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Teofimo Lopez set to face off on October 3

Planet Sport writerStaff Writer15 July 2020
Vasiliy Lomachenko is set to defend his world titles against the undefeated, Teofimo Lopez on October 3

Vasiliy Lomachenko is set to defend his world titles against the undefeated, Teofimo Lopez on October 3

Bob Arum hopes the two fighters can face off In October, but there is still a long way to go in negotiations…

A blockbuster unification between Pound for Pound superstar Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez is set for October 3 with both men appearing keen for the fight. 

The pair were originally set to go toe-to-toe on May 30 but got postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Both lightweight world champions are promoted by Top Rank and Arum but neither have received an offer to commence battle, according to the Athletic. 

Can the fight happen without a gate?

Should it come into fruition, the showdown will easily be the biggest fight confirmed for the remainder of 2020 but the main issue will be what they get paid.

The purse for each camp will be dependent on whether boxing is allowed to welcome fans back into arenas. As it stands, it’s a no go. If America and the UK continue their stance on refusing entry to mass gatherings by October, then it’ll have huge repercussions for the fight game.

It also puts doubt into the trilogy between Fury and Wilder happening in America with the Middle East and Australia tipped as front-runners to host the event. 

When Tyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder in February, they set a new heavyweight record for a gate, with $16.9m made in ticket sales at the MGM. 

With no crowd it’ll certainly hit the pockets hard of both lightweight champions too.

Can Lopez shock Loma?

Lomachenko is arguably the best fighter of a generation. His professional record is 14-1 with the only blemish coming against Orlando Salido for the WBO featherweight title via split decision. “Hi-Tech” was challenging for world honours in just his second fight and the defeat came in controversial circumstances with many believing the Ukrainian had done enough to win the contest. 

The 32-year-old is the quickest man to have won world titles in three divisions with it coming in just 12 bouts. His most recent victory was over Britain’s Luke Campbell in August 2019 - who could be in line to fight Ryan Garcia next. 

Garcia is seen as the next superstar in boxing

15 fights may not seem a lot but Loma has plenty of miles on the clock when you consider his amateur career. He cemented his legacy as a great by winning two Olympic gold medals in Beijing and London and avenging his only defeat twice to leave the amateur scene with a record of 396-1.
The only lightweight belt currently alluding him is the IBF belt, which is held by his potential next opponent.
Lopez won the IBF lightweight belt from Ghanaian Richard Commey in Dec 2019 with an emphatic second round knockout.
The IBF titlist is only 22-years old, but he still holds a very notable record of 15-0 with 12 wins inside the distance.  
The Honduran-American is one of the fastest growing names in the sport, and he is gaining more admirers every time he laces up a pair of gloves. Lopez himself is a big ticket-seller too. 
While Lopez looks set to be a big name for the next decade alongside emerging talent such as Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Devin Haney and Garcia, Lomachenko - trained by 2019's Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year and father Anatoly - is the king of the mountain and it’ll take an unbelievable performance to dethrone him off his perch.