While not exactly the fight most fans have been hoping for, a source close to ESPN reports that former unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) is currently being lined up to make his ring return this summer against Masayoshi Nakatani (19-1, 13 KOs). A date hasn’t been set for the fight but it’s expected to serve as a main event for a summer ESPN card.
Many will remember that Nakatani gave Teofimo Lopez a tough outing in the summer of 2019, after which Lopez claimed he would never again face a tall fighter. Since that fight Nakatani would win a ninth round stoppage over Felix Verdejo this past December.
As for Lomachenko, he’s been out of action since losing his titles to Lopez in a unification bout last October. That had to have been a bit of a humbling experience for Lomachenko, and here he’ll be taking on a fighter with a significant height and reach advantage — one that could likely pose some real problems with his dimensions. Lomachenko also had shoulder surgery following the fight.
