Right then — Vasyl Lomachenko is coming back. The three-weight world champion has done a full U-turn on the retirement he announced last June, and according to Mike Coppinger at Ring Magazine, the man known as The Matrix is targeting a return this fall. Even better for the rest of us, his Top Rank contract has officially expired on the 12th of May, which means for the first time in his professional career, Loma is a free agent.
Make no mistake — this is properly big news. Lomachenko, on his day, is one of the most technically gifted fighters this sport has ever seen. The footwork, the angles, the way he frames his opponents and turns them into the right hand — it is the closest thing boxing has to a magic trick. If you know, you know. The question now is what version of him turns up after two and a half years on the sidelines, because he will be 38 by the time he laces them up again.
Let's not beat around the bush about the layoff. The last time he was in there was May 2024, when he stopped George Kambosos Jr. in eleven rounds to claim the IBF lightweight title. Shortly after that, his back gave way, the planned fall showdown with Gervonta Davis evaporated, and by June 2025 he had announced he was done. That back, by all accounts, is feeling a lot better now. Whether it holds up under twelve hard rounds with an elite operator is the question only the ring can answer.
Big Fights Only — No Tune-ups
Coppinger's reporting is unambiguous: Loma is not interested in dipping his toe back in. No comeback fight against a domestic-level opponent. No staged confidence-builder. He wants the names, and he wants them straight away. That is a proper old-school move and you have to respect it, even if it is a risk at his age.
Now, who fits the bill? Tank Davis is the obvious one — the fight that was supposed to happen in late 2024 has unfinished business written all over it. Shakur Stevenson at 135 is another conversation, particularly given Stevenson's reputation as a slick, defensively-minded operator who plenty of people think Loma could expose. Then there is Keyshawn Davis, who is fresh off this weekend's rematch with Nahir Albright in Norfolk and would represent a generational passing-of-the-torch fight if Loma fancies the challenge.
The Free-agent Factor
The other layer to all of this is the promotional piece. Loma being out of Top Rank changes the calculus. He can fight on DAZN, he can fight on Saudi cards in Riyadh, he can sit down with Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren if there is a number that makes sense. That opens doors that were nailed shut for the last decade of his career.
The Prediction
Here is my read. Loma comes back this fall against a top-10 name — I would bet on a Riyadh card, because that is where the money is and that is where they pay you to fight whoever they want you to fight. If he gets through that, you are looking at one final marquee fight to close out the career, probably against Tank or Shakur. He does not stick around for three or four more fights. Two more, and he is gone. The Matrix is reloading for one final run, and brilliant — boxing needed him back.