We last saw him looking fantastic on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight on May 2nd, and in the clearest sign yet of what we can expect next from WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, his manager Egis Klimas has spoken to ESPN to say that two likely options exist for the Ukrainian former amateur standout – former WBA 126 lb champ Simpiwe Vetyeka, or new IBF champion Lee Selby.
Selby was nothing short of sublime last time out 5 weeks ago in London, halting tough Russian champion and IBF fighter of the year Evgeny Gradovich. The doctor was forced to intervene after a nasty cut opened up above the former champion’s eye – yet it was always only a matter of time before the Welsh fighter turned up the heat even further than he already had, and some may say, the cut only saved Gradovich from further punishment.
Following that victory, Klimas, who was ringside, claims Selby pointed at him and signalled that he wanted the fight. On Lomachenko’s preferred options he said;
“We’re looking at Vetyeka – a former champion – and maybe Lee Selby in a unification fight. Selby got a title from Gradovich and he was pointing to me after the fight saying he wants Lomachenko. We’ll see how strong his word is.”
With the now 34 year old Vetyeka ostensibly bringing nothing to the table for Lomachenko in terms of belts, and from the tone Klimas’ comment, it seems clear that Selby is by far the more credible option for team Lomachenko.
Vasyl is a fighter interested in titles, and he recently expressed less of a desire to face former WBA champ Nicholas Walters now the Jamaican dropped his title on the scales recently – and given Walters has questions over making the weight anymore, Selby is a great fight at 126 lb for Lomachenko who is seeking to eventually unify the division.
Selby did note post-Gradovich that he was seeking to make a couple of defences before seeking to attempt to unify the division, and no doubt promoter Eddie Hearn will have him make a modest voluntary one at least before his mandatory is due or he even thinks about a unification fight.
Either way Lomachenko v Selby would be a potential chess match involving arguably the two purest boxers in the division. I very much doubt it will happen for a good while, yet if both keep winning, as many would expect them too, it’s one for the none too distant future to get excited about.
Twitter @Undilutedpoison
