Author: Sean Crose

We were told that he might be the greatest fighter of all time, that he had such talent, that he participated in such pioneering training, that he had such an extraordinary amateur pedigree that resistance was essentially futile. Make no mistake, Vasyl Lomachenko was sold as a star before he even set foot in the professional ring. And while it’s true that this man quickly became a star, the claim that he could actually be the greatest of all time seems more than a little hyperbolic these days. However, the man will be back soon, likely against Gervonta Davis (we’ll have to see if that comes to fruition), so maybe at 38, the once prodigy will live up to his sky-high expectations after all. You never really know.

While he may not have yet lived up to the idiotically unfair expectations placed on him, there is no doubt that the man named Loma has had an absolutely stellar career. He won the world title in his third professional fight. He went on to win thirteen times in a row against the likes of Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Jorge Linares, all of whom were world-class fighters.

The biggest obstacle in Loma’s path was Teofimo Lopez. He was a large, hard-hitting and extremely confident Up-to-date Yorker who defeated Loma in the fall of 2020 in an extremely competitive 12-round fight. Loma was the lightweight champion entering the ring that night. He moved up from featherweight to 135 and may have tried to cross the bridge too far when he agreed to fight the hungry Lopez. Loma defeated his next three opponents, but in the spring of 2023 he hit another bump in the road to a fight with Devin Haney.

The battle was fierce – extremely fierce – although when all was said and done, Haney decided to win. The following spring he fought Georges Kambosos, after which he practically disappeared from the ring. Last fall, the man decided it was time to call it a career. Seeing clearly that retirement was not for him, he decided to announce his return to fighting earlier this week. In addition to Davis, there is Shakur Stevenson who he can probably face. A rematch with Haney could prove to be another real possibility.

One thing is almost certain – Loma will not be an effortless task for anyone. He may have been overrated, but he was a damn good boxer back then. Chances are this man is still an excellent fighter. He may have lost three fights in his career, but they were close fights against excellent opponents. Potential opponents overlook Loma at their peril. The fact that the man did not suffer major injuries in the ring should also be a warning against possible fouls in the ring. He may not be a child anymore, but he’s not afraid of fighting either.

No matter who he faces – he’s made it clear he wants it to be a top-tier opponent – it will be fascinating to see Loma in the ring again. After all, a guy makes an impression when he plies his trade. Just watching one or two of this guy’s fights on YouTube allows the viewer to see the champion at work. It is characterized by speed, angles and accuracy. While he likely won’t be fighting at lightweight, where he has performed best, Loma is still a tough opponent. Once it starts working, it’s firm to stop it. At least that’s how it used to be. Whether this will be the case again remains to be seen.

Frank Warren says the Daniel Dubois-Fabio Wardley rematch is set to take place in the fall, and Queensberry is already discussing the possibility of moving the fight to a stadium after their success in the first fight.

Wardley activated his rematch clause just days after losing the WBO heavyweight title to Dubois in a hard-fought fight that many fans saw as an early Fight of the Year contender.

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Last updated: 19/05/2026 at 12:04

Anthony Joshua’s next opponent believes he can still ruin one of the biggest heavyweight fights that British boxing has spent more than a decade trying to build.

Kristian Prenga says the long-awaited clash between Joshua and Tyson Fury will never happen when he steps into the ring with the former world champion later this year.

Speaking exclusively to World Boxing News, the heavyweight outsider insisted that all current discussions about Joshua vs. Fury are premature.

“I understand, but he made a massive mistake again by choosing me,” Prenga told WBN.

“What’s worse is that it will cost him the fight against Fury. Maybe Fury will fight me instead?”

Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury

For years, boxing fans have been waiting for Joshua and Fury to finally settle their rivalry in the ring.

The fight endured failed negotiations, a title loss, promotional disputes and repeated falls before both sides finally began to inch closer to signing a deal later that year.

However, as WBN previously noted, staging interim fights for both heavyweights carries significant risks given the punishment each fighter has already suffered in their careers.

Joshua went down four times before being stopped by Daniel Dubois, and Fury has repeatedly hit the canvas against Deontay Wilder, Francis Ngannou and Oleksandr Usyk in recent years.

Eddie Hearn admitted as much himself when discussing Joshua’s return plans with Sky Sports.

“In my opinion, if either fighter loses, you won’t be able to fight this fight,” Hearn said, referring to the risks associated with Fury fighting Joshua and the need for both fighters to take transition fights first.

Fury is currently considering a return to the ring in August ahead of his fight with Joshua, while the former unified champion is already committed to his own comeback fight against Prengi.

A timing like this makes a Fury-Joshua clash before December increasingly unlikely, assuming both heavyweights make it to the fight intact at all.

Kristian Prenga’s warning

As WBN has previously stated, Prenga will enter the fight as an afterthought as part of Joshua’s broader plan.

The US-based Albanian, who has 20 KOs out of 20 wins, was selected for a reason and now must prove that he poses a much greater threat than Eddie Hearn clearly expects.

At this point in Joshua’s career, nothing can be considered routine anymore.

The Londoner has been through too many wars and too many setbacks to assume anything is certain, especially in the heavyweight division where one blow can ruin months of planning.

Prenga may go into the fight as a major outsider, but the knockout artist is 6ft 1in, has power and arrives with the full confidence that he can change the direction of British heavyweight boxing overnight.

“That’s my plan, but honestly, I’m just focusing on preparing for the fight with Joshua and then we’ll see what happens.”

When asked directly how he sees Joshua vs. Fury going if the fight does eventually happen, Prenga completely dismissed the possibility.

“I don’t know, but that fight will never happen after my fight with Joshua.”

Heavyweight danger

The heavyweight division has repeatedly shown how quickly major plans can fall apart.

Joshua and Fury were once expected to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship, before years of delays, failures and boxing politics continued to push the rivalry further apart.

Now the fight is finally approaching again, there is growing concern that another defeat could completely destroy the event.

Fury’s former opponent Otto Wallin recently told WBN that he still finds this fight complex to predict because of how vulnerable both heavyweights have looked in recent years.

“Joshua obviously has a forceful punch and Fury is a very good fighter, so it’s an intriguing fight,” Wallin explained to World Boxing News.

Despite his confidence, Prenga still showed respect for both British heavyweights and rejected suggestions that they were too ancient to fight seriously together.

“Not really. They may not be at the top of their game anymore, but they’re still two of the best heavyweights in the world.”

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.