The World Boxing Council has wished Vasyl Lomachenko well after the Ukrainian superstar underwent successful shoulder surgery this week.
‘Loma’ was injured in 2018, and the ailment seemingly came back to haunt him last Saturday night.
According to his surgeon, Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, the former pound for pound king was injured in the run-up to facing Teofimo Lopez.
Following a unanimous loss in an undisputed unification, the decision to fight now seems to be the wrong one.
“When he came in from Ukraine for his last stages of preparation for the fight, he was having some difficulty with the shoulder,” ElAttrache told Yahoo Sports.
“It turns out he had badly bruised the rotator cuff and chipped a piece of cartilage. We didn’t realize it at the time.
“But we knew he’d badly bruised the rotator cuff and badly bruised the bone where the rotator cuff attaches to the shoulder.
“That was roughly six weeks before the fight. We got him to where he was comfortable enough to train. He said he was able to train, OK. But it continued to cause him pain during the fight.”
Showing concern for ‘The Matrix,’ the WBC stated: “Former champion Vasiliy Lomachenko underwent surgery on his right shoulder this week at a hospital in Los Angeles, California.
“Loma had already suffered a shoulder injury in May 2018, when he defeated former Venezuelan champion Jorge Linares, in New York. But on that occasion, it was not necessary to perform surgery.
“Sports medicine doctor Neal ElAtrache, who was in charge of Vasiliy’s surgery, hopes he can make a full recovery by following the rehabilitation protocol.
“The WBC wishes Vasiliy a speedy and full recovery,” they added.
LOPEZ vs LOMACHENKO 2
Commenting on his defeat, Lomachenko took the opportunity to apologize to his fans.
He said: “It is always challenging to comment on something right after the fight. I want to watch the fight first and then say something.
“Getting closer was quite a challenge: the size, the reach play a huge role. I would like to apologize to everyone, apologize to my team, and thank you for all the support,”
Lomachenko faces a few weeks on the sidelines before he can train again. In the meantime, a rematch with Lopez remains possible.
Now recognized as a major player in the sport of boxing, and with record ESPN ratings behind him, Lopez vs. Loma 2 could appear on US PPV screens in the second trimester of 2021.
