Off in October. Back on for February.
Back on 8 October we told you Charly Suarez vs Vasiliy Lomachenko was off — for now. And that the road to 2027 could still bring them together.
Well, here we are.
According to BoxingScene, the two camps are expected to finalise a February 13 fight, with both sides aiming for Las Vegas. A formal announcement could come as early as this week.
The prize? Top Rank's Bob Arum says the winner is pegged for a shot at new three-belt champion O'Shaquie Foster.
And Arum promises Charly "a fantastic purse", he told the Daily Tribune.
BUT HERE'S THE RUB
Suarez (19-0, 11 KOs) is the WBO's No. 1. He's already OWED a shot at Foster.
Now he has to get past a three-division champion first.
"If this is the only way to a world title fight, then so be it," said trainer Delfin Boholst.
That's the King's Warrior for you. No complaining. Just fighting.
And there's a little history here. The pair have met before — in the old World Series of Boxing, where Lomachenko took it on points.
Loma (18-3, 12 KOs) hasn't boxed since beating George Kambosos Jr for the IBF lightweight title in May 2024. Charly's last fight, in July, was over in round one.
Both men are 38.
Vietnam fans will remember Suarez too — he won the IBF Asia title at The Grand Ho Tram in Vung Tau back in December 2022.
His new promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, says Charly "has a shot".
We say he has more than that.
🇵🇭 CHARLY "KING'S WARRIOR" SUAREZ (19-0) v VASILIY LOMACHENKO (18-3) 🇺🇦
🥊 Super featherweight | Winner pegged for Foster
📅 13 February 2027 (expected, yet to be announced)
📍 Las Vegas (target venue)
Stay tuned !
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization
