Vasiliy Lomachenko Explains Retirement: “I Lost Motivation After Haney”

© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesVasiliy Lomachenko says his final walk to the ring happened last May in Perth and he knew it. After dismantling George Kambosos Jr. over 11 one-sided rounds to claim the IBF lightweight title, the Ukrainian master chose silence over a victory lap. Now 37, Lomachenko says the decision to retire was easy because the fire that fueled him becoming undisputed had already gone out.

Lomachenko’s north star was the undisputed crown. That path ended, in his view, the night he dropped a razor-close decision to Devin Haney in May 2023.

“It was not difficult because I lost motivation,” Lomachenko told Fight News. “My motivation was to become undisputed world champion. When I…