The lightweight division of boxing is one the most thrilling and deepest in the sport. In recent years, it has become unpredictable and rocked with huge upsets, plans ruined by war, and other unexpected events.
Despite this, the division has many stars and is poised for some of the most exciting clashes in boxing. The structural complexity of boxing makes it difficult to predict how these fights will happen. The undisputed lightweight champion fight between Devin Haney and George Kambosos Jr., as well as Gervonta "Tank' Davis' victory over Rolando Romero are two great starting points for a look at the future of the division.
Kambosos was not expected to be a part of the championship picture's future. However, he stunned Teofimo Lopez Jr. and became the undisputed champion. There is some debate about whether Kambosos really undisputed, as Haney holds WBC title. However, Kambosos won WBC's franchise title, and the WBC declared him undisputed. All the belts will be on the line on Saturday, regardless of who wins.
Haney is slightly favorite going into the fight and should the odds prove prescient, his next fight with Kambosos will be in Australia. Kambosos fully understands his power as champion and could set the terms that will tie up the world titles in the division for the best part of next year. If Haney wins the first fight, and Kambosos wins the rematch it is hard to see a rubber match between the two men not being the next step.
A Kambosos victory on Saturday could be the best scenario for the division. He's perhaps the easiest fighter to fight with, which opens up the possibility for other top stars in this division like Vasiliy Lomachenko who was supposed to face Kambosos before the war in Lomachenko’s native Ukraine.
Davis stated repeatedly that he would be leaving Mayweather Promotions and possibly Premier Boxing Champions prior to his fight against Romero. Davis is now a huge star in the sport and draws huge crowds. Despite his fame and knockout power, Davis' biggest problem has been his opposition. Theoretically, leaving Mayweather and PBC will change that. Promotional concerns are no longer focused on fighting opponents "within the stable."
Although he said it was time for him to take control of his career and that he would be leaving Mayweather Promotions after the Romero fight ended, Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, stated that Davis was still being promoted by them. This would limit the number of fighters Davis could fight. It also means that Davis cannot fight Ryan Garcia, another young lightweight star, who has called for a fight.
Davis vs. Garcia is the most popular fight in the lightweight division. It would draw more mainstream attention than any possible undisputed title fight. It's a fact. The fight is almost impossible to arrange if Davis is not with Mayweather Promotions or PBC. DAZN signed a new deal recently with Golden Boy Promotions. Garcia is a key component of that deal. PBC/Mayweather Promotions won't send Davis to fight on DAZN.
His options at lightweight are limited if Davis does not change his current position. Davis has already rejected the idea of a match with Romero. This may leave Davis with no options at lightweight. He could also try out a different division.
We know Garcia will be fighting Javier Fortuna in the first fight on July 16. The fight was scheduled to take place last year, as part of a WBC-ordered fight to determine the mandatory challenger to the world title. Garcia pulled out to care for his mental health. Both men had won fights which made them mandatory challengers for the WBC's confusing title picture.
Garcia is now in a position to challenge Fortuna. It's past time for him to step up his competition. Garcia won over Fortuna. A fight with Davis is unlikely, but a fight to win the undisputed champion is possible. However, that fight could be only one or two fights away, depending on how Kambosos and Haney play out.
Garcia, a big-money fighter, has spoken about his desire to fight Haney. He would also consider Kambosos as an option. Garcia has spoken about many big fights, but they have not materialized. The future will show.
Teofimo Lopez was the head of the division just one year ago. He was the only one to hold all the belts, except for Haney's sort-of-sort of world title. And he had all the talent to keep them till he outgrew his division. It seemed like a fast approaching day. Kambosos, Lopez put on a show that was unmatched in their careers. As he seeks to bring new life to his career, he has moved to 140 pounds. Lopez called recently for a fight at the new weight with Davis.
Although Vasiliy Lomachenko may not be one of the young stars in the division, he is still the best lightweight fighter on the planet. In October 2020, he lost to Lopez. Lomachenko was very weak in the first round. Since then, he has won a resounding victory over Richard Commey and Masayoshi Nakatani, proving that he is still among the elite in boxing. Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Lomachenko's fate is still a mystery.
Shakur Stevenson (unified WBO/WBC super featherweight champion) is one future name. Stevenson stated that he is torn between trying to unify all four titles at 130 pounds and moving up to 135 to chase the biggest fights. Stevenson expressed his desire to fight Lomachenko and Davis, while also claiming that he has taken greater risks than anyone else in the lightweight division.
There are many options in this division, but timing, politics and fighter willingness to fight big fights all have to work together to ensure that the future is bright.
