Pound for pound boxing kingpin Vasyl Lomachenko will return to the ring on April 12th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California to defend his unified lightweight world title against mandatory challenger Anthony Crolla.

The fight will headline the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card and the card also will include the light heavyweight debut of super middleweight world titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.

Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti:
“We thought Loma would be fighting Richard Commey, but because of his hand surgery, a small procedure on a ligament, the focus obviously moved to Loma fulfilling his mandatory against Crolla once that happened. We’ll look to unify the titles with Commey afterward, in the late summer. Loma wants all the titles at lightweight, and he wants to keep them and defend them.”

Eddie Hearn:
“It’s a huge opportunity for Anthony Crolla, He has earned his stripes, a former world champ who has fought the best. He won the final eliminator against Yordan in November, and I’m happy he gets this chance now. Lomachenko is a great talent, but Anthony is in great shape and ready for this chance.”