"I'm old, my career is almost over." Is it too early for Lomachenko to retire?

On May 12th in Perth, Australia, a big boxing event will take place. The main event of the tournament will be the lightweight title fight for the vacant IBF belt between Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos.

For both boxers, this is a chance to become a champion once again. Vasiliy was a world champion in three weight classes, and in the lightweight division, he held three belts until he unexpectedly lost to Teofimo Lopez. And George Kambosos, in turn, defeated Lopez and became the undisputed world champion. However, it was short-lived: the Australian lost to Devin Haney twice and lost his titles. On the Mostbet casino login website, you can place bets not only on this fight but also on many other events from the world of sports.

In his last fight, Lomachenko also lost to Haney

But the result of that fight still raises questions: Vasiliy fought well and, according to many experts, won, but the judges gave preference to Haney at the time.

Since then, Vasiliy hasn't fought for a year, and, as he admits, he's considering retiring soon.

"If you talk about age in boxing, then I agree — I'm old. But what if we talk about the heavyweight division? At 36, many heavyweights can only begin. But, of course, my career is almost over. The question is how much longer it will last — one, two, three years. That's it. But I think I still have strength," Lomachenko told Fox Sports Australia.

Is it too early for Vasiliy to be thinking about retirement? 

Yes, Lomachenko is 36 years old, but his last fight against Haney showed everyone that he is still in excellent shape. At times, he outclassed the champion in his style, was as good on his feet, and as fast in his attacks as he was in his prime. If the loss to Haney had been one-sided, then thoughts of retirement would have been understandable. But Vasiliy gave a very competitive fight to one of the best boxers regardless of weight class, which means age has not yet caught up with the Ukrainian. The fight with Kambosos is a great opportunity for Vasiliy to return to the top. The vacant world champion belt will be at stake, and in case of victory, several options for high-profile fights open up for Lomachenko. Firstly, it is possible to have a unification fight with either Gervonta Davis or Shakur Stevenson, both options are very attractive and will generate great public interest. And secondly, in the weight class above, there are two of Vasiliy's adversaries — Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez. Lopez holds a championship belt, and Haney, if his defeat in the fight with Garcia is overturned due to Ryan's doping issues, will also have a belt. And a fight with either of them is also an excellent option both from a sporting point of view and in terms of public interest.

Lomachenko is a big favorite before the fight with Kambosos

But, of course, first and foremost, Vasiliy needs to win this weekend. Lomachenko is a big favorite before the fight with Kambosos, which once again says: it's too early for Vasiliy to think about hanging up his gloves. George is a former world champion, he's six years younger than Lomachenko, and although he'll be fighting at home, he's still the underdog. Almost all experts believe in Vasiliy's victory, and there is no doubt that Lomachenko himself is confident in it too. A successful performance by the Ukrainian boxer should postpone thoughts of retirement — in this case, retirement would be extremely premature.