Why Vasiliy Lomachenko Can Regret Ignoring Teofimo Lopez Rematch Clause

Vasiliy Lomachenko is in talks with big names in the lightweight division, but is that worth more than the rematch he could have secured against Teofimo Lopez?

The Ukrainian boxer lost to Lopez 12-round lightweight title fight in October 2020. This was his pro career’s only second loss. Most boxing fans were expecting the 33-year-old to apply for a rematch against the 24-year-old champ, but he decided against it.

Both boxers are managed by Bob Arum’s Top Rank so it was up to Lomachenko and his managerial team to decide it.

He is coming off a dominating victory over Richard Commey and is in line to face either Devin Haney or George Kambosos Jr. next, but this has only extended his path to reclaim the lost glory. He could have gotten another shot at the titles that Lopez possessed at the time had he gone for a rematch.

Now, he is stuck combing through potential opponents, finding ways to become a lightweight king again.

Lopez started the fight on the high, using his speed and power to keep Lomachenko on the back foot.

The Ukrainian star picked up the pace after the sixth round, but it was too late for him by then. One judge surprised the fans with scores of 119-109 in Lopez’s favor because most viewers thought the showdown was closer than that. The other judges scored it 117-111 and 116-112 for the 24-year-old.