By Jake Donovan

Vasyl Lomachenko and Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez have agreed to terms for a potential head-on collision. The fight date, location, weight, purses and hosting network all in place. That should make the fight a done deal, right?

Not necessarily.

Various outlets have reported that Lomachenko – a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and soon-to-be-exiting featherweight champ – will move up in weight to challenge Martinez, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight titlist from Puerto Rico.

However, such reports have been based on the word of Lomachenko’s Hall of Fame promoter, Bob Arum who has already jumped the gun on several occasions when it’s come to predicting the next fight for the Ukrainian wunderkind.  It appears to have happened again, as any such reports claiming the fight to be a done deal have left out the aspect of whether or not Martinez’ mandatory challenger, Miguel Berchelt is on board for such a fight.

The two were due to clash in March, as per the terms of a purse bid won by Berchelt’s promoter Fernando Beltran, whose Zanfer Promotions is Top Rank’s chief business partner in Mexico. Martinez withdrew from his mandatory title defense roughly a week before fight night due to injury, leaving Berchelt to face – and knock out – late replacement George Jupp for an interim version of the WBO super featherweight title.

Martinez is still on the hook to honor said mandatory defense once he is granted a clean bill of health, which only came earlier this month once his name was attached to a possible Lomachenko clash. A major stipulation in securing the fight was Arum getting Berchelt and Zanfer Promotions to agree to step aside in lieu of an owed title fight.

Given Arum and Beltran’s close business relationship, it was assumed that such matters were buttoned up, thus clearing the path for Lomachenko (5-1, 3KOs) to challenge for a title in a second weight class. Apparently nobody bothered to ask Berchelt, who not only has yet to consent to such a fight, but is threatening legal action if Martinez chooses to face Lomachenko or anyone else for his next title defense.

“Martinez’ next world championship (title defense) is against me,” Berchelt (29-1, 26KOs) confirmed in a recent press statement. “I am not – under any circumstances, conditions… whatever – willing to concede my (mandatory title shot) to anyone. I have already asked my attorney and president of Max Boxing, Mario Xacur Abraham, in whom I have always found support, with this (matter) being no exception.”

With Martinez confirmed to be fit to return to the ring, Berchelt has taken it one step further. The streaking knockout artist has already returned to the gym to begin training camp for what he insists will be his owed title shot, while appointing his legal team to prepare a potential lawsuit in the event such a fight does not materialize.

Working in Berchelt’s favor – for the moment – is that Lomachenko had a backup plan in the event that Martinez was unavailable for such a fight. As the Ukrainian boxer’s goal is to fight for a title in every pro bout, his team – led by top-shelf manager Egis Klimas – was eyeing a potential clash versus World Boxing Association (WBA) beltholder Javier Fortuna.

Whether it's Martinez or Fortuna, the bout will mark Lomachenko's debut as a super featherweight. His run at featherweight included his challenging for the title in just his second pro fight - dropping a narrow decision to an overweight Orlando Salido - and winning the vacant belt one fight later in a dominant 12-round showing versus Gary Russell Jr., who has since claimed a separate version of the featherweight crown. Three successful defenses followed for Lomachenko, including a one-sided 10th round stoppage of Romulo Koasicha last November.

A showdown versus Martinez (29-2-3, 17KOs) remains the priority, given the bout will take place in New York City on the eve of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade. The show will be headlined by Felix Verdejo, who is fresh off of 10-round points win Saturday evening in his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico and will now return to MSG Theatre, where he scored a 10-round win over Brazil’s William Silva in February.

Martinez won’t necessarily enhance the box office take, but his heritage makes him a better fit for the card. However, his placement on the event comes only as the confirmed opponent of Lomachenko, who – like Verdejo – has a working relationship with HBO, which will televise the Garden party that evening.

As such, he could be left to fend for himself in the event his title status becomes a legal matter.

"If that happens (that Martinez faces Lomachenko instead of Berchelt), we are going to (take him to court,” Berchelt confirmed.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox