As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, the WBC have ordered Luke Campbell and Vasyl Lomachenko to fight for their vacant lightweight title.
Campbell, 31, has been expecting to the Ukrainian since he watched him stop Anthony Crolla in four rounds last month and the latest development from the WBC means he could do so for three of the four world lightweight titles.
Lomachenko defended the WBA and WBO titles against Crolla in Los Angeles, where Campbell narrowly lost to Jorge Linares for the WBA title in 2017.
Campbell has since relocated from Miami to train with Shane McGuigan, winning his past three fights to return to contention to challenge for world honours, this time against the fighter who has succeeded Floyd Mayweather as the world’s very best, pound-for-pound.
“The WBC has accepted Vasyl Lomachenko’s petition to fight for the WBC lightweight title,” the WBC wrote in a statement.
“A fight between mandatory challenger Luke Campbell from UK and multiple weight division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko from Ukraine with the vacant WBC lightweight championship on the line, is officially ordered. (Fellow lightweight) Mikey Garcia, as WBC Emeritus champion, reserves his right to fight for the lightweight title.”
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, who promotes Lomachenko, has already spoken to Eddie Hearn, who promotes Campbell.
According to Arum's statements to The Los Angeles Times, Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) will travel over to the UK to fight Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) on a date in a late-August or September.
Lomachenko has wanted to fight in the UK for a long time, and traveled over to Manchester in November to watch close friend Oleksandr Usyk score a knockout of Tony Bellew.
“I’ve already talked to Eddie Hearn and he’s looking for an appropriate venue in the U.K.,” Arum said.
Arum described Lomachenko as pleased with the WBC ruling - “I know that’s what he wanted.”
