CHICAGO - News reports about a potential fight between Manny Pacquiao and Vasiliy Lomachenko broke the stillness of a quiet, rainy morning in the Philippines.
But while the mere thought of two of the sport's biggest names colliding in Las Vegas on January 24, 2026 is exciting, expectations need to be tempered.
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"The planned staging of this bout is still in its infancy stage," lawyer Brando Vierniesto, a longtime adviser to the former senator, told SPIN.ph.
Viernesto acknowledged that Lomachenko has been considered as Pacquiao's next opponent and that a third-party entity, Indistry, has reached out to Top Rank which was the promotional arm of Lomachenko when the Ukraine-born three-division champion was still actively fighting.
Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic champion as an amateur who once spent time atop the pound-for-pound list, retired in June at the age of 37.
As of posting time, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum hasn't replied to SPIN.ph's text messages seeking confirmation.
TOP Rank PR Katie Neff also hasn't replied to our email requests.
This is a developing story.
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