Lomachenko hopes not to cause divorces as Brits cancel holidays to watch long-awaited UK bout vs Campbell
VASYL LOMACHENKO hopes his long-awaited professional UK debut does not cause a spike in summer divorces.
The planet’s pound-for-pound best fighter takes on Hull’s Luke Campbell on August 31 with 12,000 tickets already sold as fans flock to see the two-time Olympic gold winner.
Ukraine’s three-weight world champ’s bid for the vacant WBC lightweight title clashes with the last week of the summer holidays.
Speaking exclusively to SunSport, the WBA and WBO king said: “I am sure the guys missing their holidays and buying the tickets just like boxing very much and that is hopefully what I do in the ring.
“I don’t want to be responsible for any cancelled holidays or divorces. I just want to help those guys with a great fight.
“I was at the Dillian Whyte fight at the O2 on Saturday and the atmosphere was amazing.
“People love and understand boxing here. I wanted to fight in a big UK arena for a long time.”
Campbell, himself a 2012 Olympic gold winner, first came across the freakishly talented Lomachenko in 2004 at the Cadet European Championships in Saratov, Russia.
The Shane McGuigan-trained father-of-two was blown away by his ability and became an instant fan of his marvellous technical ability. But the Yorkshireman, 31, insisted he is not starstruck by the 5ft 7in phenomenon, who is earning comparisons with Muhammad Ali.
Campbell said: “I don’t look at him and think he is a hero, or want a photo with him like a fan.
I don’t want to be responsible for any cancelled holidays or divorces.
Vasyl Lomachenko
“As soon as we step in the ring he is going to be my enemy. I have the same mission as him so I need to beat him.
“How can I say anything bad about him? Look at his achievements.
"I don’t dislike him, I respect everything he has done. But, when the bell goes, it is a fight.” Loma, nicknamed The Matrix, destroyed brave Manchester grafter Anthony Crolla last time out.
And he has been raising the benchmark for ring IQ, movement and technical skills since he started winning junior world titles in 2006.
But there is still one fighter who leaves him in awe.
Eight-weight legend Manny Pacquiao won the WBA Super welterweight title on Saturday night against feared puncher Keith Thurman — a decade his junior — and the 40-year-old is the one fighter Lomachenko would love to pose with.
He added: “I think my opponents just like and appreciate what I do in the ring, they want to take photos with me to keep as a memento.
“If I was to fight someone like Manny Pacquiao I would probably ask for a photo with him, too, before the fight.
“I respect Manny a lot because he is still fighting at 40 and I like that.”
Campbell could have banked more cash by going to the USA, where Loma has enjoyed all but one of his 14 pro fights.
But he and promoter Eddie Hearn have dug deep to lure the genius back to England, where he boxed three times as an amateur. The investment could pay huge dividends if home advantage goes with the local fighter.
Campbell added: “Home advantage can count massively.
“I fought Jorge Linares in his backyard of California in 2017, when he was in his prime and high in the pound-for-pound list.
“All the money was on him to go on and have a massive unification fight and he ended up getting a very narrow split decision, despite me winning at least seven of the rounds, in my opinion.
“So I know how hard it can be to be the away fighter to get a decision and he will have to deal with that now.”
Campbell’s dad, Bernard, died two weeks before the Linares clash but the fighter kept the agony private.
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While life without his biggest fan and inspiration is tough, Campbell is free of the anxiety that was crippling him now his dad is at peace.
He said: “It is so much easier now, I would not put my worst enemy through that.
“I was suffering from panic attacks and heart palpitations through all of that. But I have come through stronger and my dad always said I’d be a world champion — now is my time.”
