At the clear tail end of his career, Vasiliy Lomachenko, just a few short months ago, believed he bagged his biggest accomplishment. Although he was viewed as a slight underdog, he fought like a man who didn’t have a few grey hairs in his beard.

Once the final bell rang, the 35-year-old raised his hand in the air and strutted around the ring. However, just a few minutes later, it was Devin Haney who was given the nod.

Shortly after, despondency began creeping in. Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) was down on himself. He knows the light at the end of his tunnel isn’t far and he saw his showdown against Haney as his last chance to become an undisputed champion. Still, while that might be true, he will receive an immediate opportunity to become a world champion once again.

Officially, BoxingScene.com reported that Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. is a done deal and will likely take place in mid-May for the vacant IBF title. Ironically enough, Kambosos also came up short on back-to-back occasions in 2022 vs. Haney before pulling out a somewhat controversial win over Maxi Hughes recently.

Most eyes in the boxing world will be tuned in to see how things play out, including Raymond Muratalla. But, the highly-ranked contender isn’t looking to simply enjoy a good night of fights. So, instead of grabbing himself a snack and watching with an unbiased eye, he’ll pull out his pen and paper and begin to take notes.

The 27-year-old believes he has a chance to fight for a world title if everything breaks right. In terms of who he thinks will win, he’s standing behind Lomachenko. But while the Ukrainian has his support for now, Muratalla (19-0, 16 KOs) is planning on knocking him off his throne soon after.

“Hopefully, I get the opportunity next,” Muratalla told ESNEWS. “I can’t wait.”