Looking for ‘Loma’

Charly Suarez and his chief handler Delfin Boholst are not taking any chances.

Even if there is no official announcement yet as to the proposed title elimination match between him and Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine, the two are not wasting precious time doing nothing.

“We are in training mode,” Boholst told DAILY TRIBUNE on Thursday.

Last week, I spoke with Top Rank’s Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who revealed plans to stage a showdown between Lomachenko and Suarez sometime on 13 February possibly in Las Vegas.

Already the World Boxing Organization’s mandatory challenger in the super-featherweight class, Suarez doesn’t mind engaging Lomachenko in a title eliminator as long as it would lead to his long-awaited world title shot.

Under Arum’s plans, the winner of the Lomachenko-Suarez meeting would be pitted against American O’Shaquie Foster, who holds the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation 130-pound straps.

Sometime in the fall or winter of 2027, the survivor gets the chance to add the final piece of the jewels, the World Boxing Association plum to produce an undisputed champion in the talent-laden weight class.

Amid all the talks, Team Suarez is not running away from a big fight down the road.

“We are going to fight whoever is put in front of us,” said Boholst, who has full faith that Suarez, his longtime national team buddy, will get the job done.

With the help of their Uruguayan-American promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, Suarez and Boholst are drooling over a close encounter with Lomachenko even if it means a loss would put an end to his world title hopes.

“Charly insists that Lomachenko doesn’t fear him and that’s something that gives me the confidence that we can pull this off,” Boholst said.

Personally, I do believe that Suarez can do it simply because the first and only time they met in the ring, Lomachenko didn’t get to totally outclass the Filipino.

That was more than a dozen years ago when Lomachenko was at his peak as the world’s premier amateur.

Suarez is now 38. So is Lomachenko.

But Suarez has been pretty active compared to Lomachenko, who hasn’t fought since 2025.

Through the years, Suarez has somehow developed power on both fists.

And that could play a pivotal role if and when they get to face off once again early next year.

As they say, patience is a virtue.

Suarez has a lot of that and those who wait usually end up getting rewarded.

Make the fight, Bob.