WA favourite to host proposed world-title fight between George Kambosos, Vasiliy Lomachenko

In 2017, Manny Pacquiao waged an epic war with Jeff Horn. Now another boxing megastar could be coming Down Under for a world-title blockbuster with George Kambosos.

Australia is poised to secure one of the biggest fights in the nation’s boxing history with George Kambosos and Ukraine great Vasiliy Lomachenko closing in on a proposed world-title blockbuster.

Perth is the firm favourite to host Kambosos’s shot at world-title redemption against the legendary Lomachenko, who is one of world boxing’s superstars.

Promoters are deep in talks and investigating a number of domestic and offshore options amid interest from Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and sites in the US.

However, the Western Australia government is in the box seat and the 15,500-capacity RAC Arena in Perth is the front-runner to stage Kambosos’s mooted showdown against Lomachenko for the IBF lightweight world title.

The fight is slated to take place in April and could be screened in Australia on Fox Sports’ Main Event pay-per-view channel.

The “Ferocious”-“Loma” spectacular cannot be locked in until the IBF orders the bout, which is expected to happen when Devin Haney steps into the ring against Regis Prograis on December 9.

George Kambosos is eyeing another world-title blockbuster on Australian soil.

Haney is the IBF lightweight world champion but that title is set to be vacated following his decision to step up to super lightweight to face Prograis.

Haney’s decision opens the door for Kambosos, ranked No.2 by the IBF, and Lomachenko, ranked No.3, to go toe-to-toe in what shapes as one of Australian boxing’s most significant world title fights.

Australian fight fans were enthralled by the war between Filipino great Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn at Suncorp Stadium in 2017 and Lomachenko is one of the sport’s most gifted pugilists.

Kambosos and Lomachenko were slated to fight last year but the Ukraine war cleared a path for Haney, who subsequently dethroned the Sydneysider by winning back-to-back world title bouts.

Beltless after his twin losses to Haney in Melbourne, Kambosos reignited his career in July with a majority points win over Maxi Hughes to claim the IBO strap, his sixth world title belt.

Ukraine legend Vasiliy Lomachenko is one of world boxing’s superstars.

Now it could be seventh heaven for Kambosos (21-2, 10KO) as he hurtles towards another home title headliner against Lomachenko (17-3, 11KO), who suffered a controversial loss to Haney in May.

Kambosos’s most recent clash against Hughes was in Oklahoma and the 30-year-old said that while he would relish a mega fight with Lomachenko anywhere, he craved a stadium show on Australian soil.

“I’ll fight Lomachenko next,” Kambosos said after his win over Hughes.

“I would love to fight Lomachenko. Styles make fights and Loma is more likely to engage.

“He is more likely to throw some shots and I like to engage. It’s a big fight that I would really get up for.

“A Kambosos-Lomachenko stadium fight in Australia would be great. That’s what we were meant to do originally (before Haney).”

Kambosos would start as a huge underdog against 35-year-old Lomachenko but another Teofimo Lopez-style upset would give him claims to being Australia’s greatest boxer.

Originally published as WA favourite to host proposed world-title fight between George Kambosos, Vasiliy Lomachenko