Promoter Bob Arum has all but ruled out a future bout between Vasyl Lomachenko 14-1 (10) and Manny Pacquiao 62-7-2 (39).
Pound-for-pound level fighter Lomachenko added the WBC lightweight title to his WBA and WBO straps with a 12-round decision win over Luke Campbell in August, while Pacquiao claimed the WBA welterweight title with a points win over previously undefeated Keith Thurman in July.
A potential match-up between two of the biggest names in the sport would be a tantalising proposition for fight fans, but Top Rank boss Arum says the weight disparity would provide Pacquiao with too much of an advantage.
“On Lomachenko v Pacquiao, we can never say never,” Arum told World Boxing News. “But I mean you don’t take a guy who’s 126-pounds and have him fight at 147-pounds against Pacquiao – or even a catchweight of 144-pounds.
“You don’t do that because when he’s walking around (at 144). That’s the weight Loma is.”
Explaining further, Arum stated Lomachenko even gave away considerable weight for his last fight with Luke Campbell.
“The WBC has the weigh-ins a month before, a week before – that kind of stuff. They have to make sure the fighter isn’t going to exhilarate his weight loss and therefore injure himself by doing that.
“Lomachenko, when they weighed him in a month before (he) was like 138. And a week or two before 137. For the fight, he had to be 135.
“Usually I would assume that Campbell weighed 135 at the weigh-in. Which probably (was hydrated to) 155 when he got in the ring. He’s a big kid.
“I mean he’d really be giving away too much weight (for Pacquiao).”
Arum added that former lightweight titleholder Mikey Garcia – who has recently been linked to a Pacquiao bout – remains an option for Lomachenko in 2020.
“He fought his last fight at 147. He wants his next fight to be at 140 coming down. Then he believes he has no problem making 135 so that’s a potential fight for the future,” he said.
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