Man, it’s really disappointing news! The mega lightweight unification bout between Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko that was all set for the later half of the year? It’s off now. Everyone was buzzing about it after Davis beat Frank Martin in June. Both fighters were keen to square off by late 2024, but now, with Lomachenko’s manager Egis Klimas’ recent statement, it seems like it might not happen after all. And Kenny Ellis isn’t happy about it!

As per a report from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, officials from PBC and Top Rank met in Las Vegas last week to hammer out a fight deal for ESPN-Prime Video PPV. ‘Loma’ reportedly arrived in Los Angeles to weigh his options and came to the conclusion to avoid the fight for now. Lomachenko’s manager later said, “Loma is not in the mood right now. He doesn’t have the motivation at the moment.”

Klimas added that Lomachenko wants to spend more time with his family, as money is not the only motivating factor for the Ukrainian boxing legend. “You can offer him millions, tens of millions of dollars—if he doesn’t have motivation, he’s not ready to prepare for the fight”, Klimas said. While this doesn’t mean the fight will never happen, Davis’ trainer Kenny Ellis couldn’t hold in his frustration.

Turning to his Instagram story earlier today, the Baltimore trainer wrote, “If Lomachenko can’t get motivated by getting a chance at being the face of Boxing[,] his team needs to hang his gloves to where he could never reach them again[.] He’s done.” Interestingly, the prospect of Lomachenko potentially retiring isn’t new. 

Many in the community have suggested that Lomachenko, at 36, is past his prime and should look to hang up his gloves. Even Lomachenko’s last opponent, George Kambosos Jr. promised to force Lomachenko into retirement by defeating him. However, things didn’t turn out that way for Kambosos Jr. when they met in the ring. 

Vasyl Lomachenko fought off Kambosos Jr’s retirement threat

Back in May this year, Lomachenko and Kambosos Jr. fought for the vacant IBF lightweight title in Perth, Australia. Despite the concerns surrounding Lomachenko’s age, the Ukrainian presented an absolute masterclass on his way to an 11th-round knockout victory. However, before the fight, Kambosos Jr. promised to retire Lomachenko.

In a press conference held for the fight, Lomachenko responded to his opponent’s statement by suggesting this isn’t the first time he has heard people talking about his retirement, adding he will show his capabilities in the ring. He admitted, “Nobody knows, you know? It’s, I don’t know what happen after this fight. I don’t know how my body will be. I don’t know.”

The abrupt cancellation of the highly anticipated showdown between Tank and Loma has sparked dismay among fans and has deeply disappointed Kenny Ellis himself. With the bout sidelined, Gervonta Davis must now search for a new challenger to grace the ring later this year, while Lomachenko faces the prospect of defending his title in 2025. How do you feel about this twist in the tale?