By Steve Kim
With his surgery for a torn right labrum, plans were scrapped for WBA lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) to return on August 25th.
It's not clear when the gifted Ukrainian - who stopped Jorge Linares in ten rounds on May 12th in Madison Square Garden in New York City - will box again.
"I want to fight in December, we talked with (Top Rank CEO) Bob Arum, with (manager) Egis (Klimas) and maybe my next fight will be December 8th," said Lomachenko during his appearance on 'the 3 Knockdown Rule' podcast with Mario Lopez this past Friday.
Lomachenko is now 30 years old and despite just twelve fights, he is already among the most accomplished prizefighters in the sport. When asked how much longer he saw himself boxing, he answered - "I think maybe five, seven years but nobody knows because it's a hard sport."
The two-time Olympic gold medal winner has also captured world titles at featherweight and super featherweight.
And it's clear that he wants quality over quantity in terms of his opposition.
"For me it's important, I want to be in the history of boxing," said Lomachenko, who to secure more world title fights.
''I understand if you want to be in the history you need fights with champions."
And there is one particular lightweight colleague who Lomachenko believes presents his greatest challenge.
"I think it will be Mikey Garcia," he said of the WBC lightweight titlist. "He's very smart and he understands what he needs to do in the ring. So he's very good and tough fighter. He's has a very hard punch and he knows how he needs to use this punch."
By the time they collide, Garcia (38-0, 30 KOs) may very well have two titles. In the coming months, he is slated to unify with IBF champion Robert Easter.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.
