Current triple-time champion Oleksandr Usyk and "Ukrainian boxing genius" Vasyl Lomachenko have received permission from Ukraine's cultural minister to leave Ukraine for Anthony Joshua and George Kambosos, according to Bob Arum, CEO of top promotion companies Jr. match.
Arum said the Ukrainian government believes that if they let Lomachenko and Usik leave for their big game, it will be a good publicity angle for Ukraine. The question now is if Usik and Lomachenko leave Ukraine now, it's unclear whether they will return to Ukraine after the game. The current IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champions Usik and Lomachenko are both Ukrainians who have been in Ukraine for weeks.
Usik has not yet said whether he will leave Ukraine, but Lomachenko reportedly wants to train for the title with IBF/WBA/WBC Franchise/WBO Lightweight Champion George Campossos Jr. The match was played in Australia on 5 June. If Usik chooses to stay in Ukraine, Joshua will need to find another opponent in the next match in June or July.
"Ukraine is working with us, Lomachenkousik is all Ukrainian," Bob Arum said. "They realised it was a huge publicity perspective that got them out of Ukraine, training and taking part in the title battle against Cambossos and Joshua. Hopefully the war will end, so, I don't know the position of these two men, whether they will accept the offer of the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, leave and train to participate in the competition,"
But many boxing fans will not be happy with the news that Lomachenko and Usik are leaving Ukraine at this moment. If Lomachenko and Usik leave now, they will be seen by some boxing fans as abandoning their country.