By Alexey Sukachev

Just five fights into his professional career (with all due respect to the World Series of Boxing), TBRB #4 Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KOs) is looking for the toughest mountain to climb in his weight class. Arguably the greatest amateur boxer in history sets his x-mark on the back of the super WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), rated #1 by both the Ring and TBRB, according to Vasyl’s manager Egis Klimas in his exclusive conversation with the BoxingScene.

“People are excited about Vasyl, they want him to fight the best. His team doesn’t want to wait for any opportunities but rather chase them aggressively. And you know Vasyl – he wants to get the cream of the cream as soon as possible and as much as anyone else. The top guy now is Nicholas Walters. He is promoted by Top Rank (as is Vasyl), he has a fan-friendly style, and he definitely is the best outside of my team following his highlight-reel kayos of both Vic (Darchinyan) and Nonito (Donaire)”, said Klimas.

“We have initiated negotiations with Team Walters. We are only at the very beginning but we want this fight for the fall. It’ll be big. Surely, nothing is set up solidly at the moment, and Walters must first get past Miguel Marriaga in June”, added Klimas. (Walters faces 20-0, 18 KOs Colombian Marriaga on June 13 in New York).

What if Walters is not possible? Reigning WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. has already been beaten by the Ukrainian, who holds the WBO version of the featherweight title. Klimas manages another champion in this division – Russia’s IBF titleholder Evgueny Gradovich.

“Evgueny has a test ahead – a road defense against Welshman Lee Selby. Should be a good fight. I don’t see anything special in Selby but he us a solid contender and good fighter. I’m still convinced Evgueny will pull it through though. We are speaking boxing here but he has what it takes to get a win barring a hometown cooking for Selby, which is always a possibility in road fights regardless of the country you’re fighting in. But we shall do our job to get Gradovich a fair shake there”, tells Klimas.

If Selby is defeated and Walters goes the other direction, can there be a fight between Lomachenko and Gradovich?

“They can fight each other. I know some promoters and managers – and I respect their opinion – aren’t excited about intra-team collisions but if there’re no more lucrative options then why not? Boxing is all about defining the best. As for me, I’ll try to avoid being in the arena for such a fight so that my guys won’t feel any extra oppression. In this case I’ll take an advantage of the opportunity and relax with refreshment on the sofa, watching it on TV”.

