By Ron Lewis

Vasiliy Lomachenko says that nothing he could achieve in his professional career could compare to winning the first of his two Olympic gold medals.

The Ukrainian three-weight world champion has his sights set on unifying all four parts of the world lightweight title and would move a step closer if he adds the vacant WBC title to the WBA and WBO belts he already holds by beating Luke Campbell at the O2 Arena, London, on Saturday.

“My motivation is four belts, making boxing history,” Lomachenko said, but he denied that would beat the achievement of his first Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008.

“My first Olympic Games, it was the best moment in my career. If we can compare all my titles in my boxing career, first place is my gold medal in Beijing.

“Winning the Olympic Games is a special moment. I lived with that dream; I went to bed with that dream, I went to school with that dream, all the time I thought about the gold medal. And then I won the Olympic medal and it's unbelievable, I can’t explain my feelings, but no, nothing in the future can compare.”

While they never boxed in the same weight division as an amateur – Campbell boxed as a senior as a bantamweight, while Lomachenko won his first Olympic gold at featherweight and his second at lightweight after the lighter weight was scrapped. As well as both winning Olympic gold in London in 2012, they both won European gold in Liverpool in 2008.

They first boxed at the same tournament aged 16 in Russia and while Campbell said that Lomachenko stood out then, Lomachenko says he was not aware of Campbell until 2011 when he won a silver medal at the World Championships in Azerbaijan.

Lomachenko said he was fully recovered from shoulder and hand injuries, although he did not feel under any particular pressure to put on an impressive performance.

“I think only about my result, and of course if during the fight I find the key, I can show a little,” he said, “I think only of the result but after that I can create something.”

Meanwhile, Bob Arum says Lomachenko will have to wait until early next year before he gets the chance to unify the lightweight title if he beats Campbell.

The promoter confirmed that Richard Commey would defend the IBF title against Teofimo Lopez with the winner facing Lomachenko.

“That fight is December 14, so we might squeeze in another Loma fight somewhere in the world later this year and then they will fight the first four months of next year,” Arum said.

Arum confirmed that Lomachenko would not be moving up another division if he unified the titles, but might move back down.

“He’s a featherweight,” Arum said. “He had to eat extra food to box at 135.

“We have Jamel Herring, Miguel Berchelt [respectively WBO and WBC super-featherweight champion], Oscar Valdez, Carl Frampton, we have plenty of activity. Herring is fighting [Lamont] Roach next and if Frampton says he wants to fight him, we can arrange that.

“If we can’t get decent fights at lightweight, we will drop down and fight at 130 or 126.”

Arum also hinted that Naoya Inoue, the WBA and IBF bantamweight champion, could also be in Lomachenko’s future.

“He’s a big kid and could go up to 126 and he says he wants to fight Lomachenko,” Arum said. “There will be plenty of big fights for Loma.”