Although the unified champion acknowledges that February might present a tough evening for the 38-year-old, O’Shaquie Foster anticipates Vasiliy Lomachenko emerging victorious against Charly Suarez during his return ring appearance. Foster’s forecast relies on the assumption that Lomachenko has maintained optimal conditioning and hasn’t suffered significant physical deterioration during his hiatus.
Even though Suarez is near the same age, the undefeated challenger has remained active through continuous training and competition, in contrast to Lomachenko, who has passed the past two years distant from boxing while appreciating time outside of training camps.
Should Lomachenko perform at the caliber he displayed in his bout with George Kambosos Jr., Suarez will face a formidable task. Nevertheless, that commanding victory benefited greatly from competing against a marginal challenger and single-success fighter who was never genuinely elite. Appearing impressive versus Kambosos is a separate matter from managing a powerful, active super featherweight following an extensive absence.
“He ought to triumph, he ought to defeat him, yet it remains a compelling matchup since Loma hasn’t competed for a few years,” Foster mentioned to ESNEWS, per reports from The Ring. “Suarez appears to be a formidable opponent. He possesses power, along with impressive reach for his frame. It promises to be an engaging bout.”
With his length, Suarez possesses the range to force Lomachenko to struggle to create scoring opportunities, having previously demonstrated versus Emanuel Navarrete the severity of impact he can inflict using a single well-placed blow. Ring authority figures originally assigned Suarez a loss by technical decision during that May 2025 contest upon deciding an accidental head collision created the stoppage-causing laceration. Subsequent video reviews established that a punch from Suarez produced the wound, leading to the decision being amended to a no-contest and preserving his undefeated tally of 19 victories, 0 defeats, and 11 stoppages.
The primary uncertainty leading up to February revolves around how rapidly a 38-year-old returning from an extended break can navigate past the reach of Suarez. Lomachenko established his reputation by pivoting laterally following an opponent’s committed attack, an approach requiring exceptional reaction times and foot speed. Facing a busy striker who could strike him as he closes distance, recovering that precise timing after years away might require multiple rounds, assuming it returns whatsoever.
Foster defeated Navarrete during October to unify The Ring, WBC, WBO, and IBF belts in the 130-pound weight class, which is precisely the division Lomachenko is re-entering following his renewed agreement with Top Rank. “Secure that warm-up bout and I’ll catch up with you afterward,” Foster expressed to ESNEWS. Labeling Suarez as merely a warm-up disregards the physical consequences of prolonged absence on a boxer nearing forty years of age, and should Suarez force Lomachenko to labor for victory, Foster will rapidly observe how much of that signature movement remains intact after the hiatus.
In the event that Lomachenko remains at the standard he exhibited against George Kambosos Jr. in his previous appearance in May 2024, Suarez faces significant danger. Even so, that outing was facilitated by going up against a tier-two contender and short-lived success who had never attained true top-tier status.
Appearing superior opposite Kambosos Jr. fails to confirm that Lomachenko retains world-class reaction speeds. Practically speaking, it merely demonstrates his capability to dismantle a restricted, secondary-tier boxer who achieved a single fortunate outcome over Teofimo Lopez before being promptly uncovered. Kambosos served as an ideal opponent for Lomachenko to advance upon without concern over potent counter-shots coming his way.
Suarez represents a far different challenge altogether. Far from a borderline contender relying on a single fortunate performance, he is an undefeated, hard-hitting super featherweight who has shown an ability to inflict damage on a durable titleholder like Navarrete. Should Lomachenko enter the ring anticipating the distance and ease he enjoyed against Kambosos, he will encounter a jarring reality check.
