By Sam Volz: Bill Haney says Devin is now hunting Vasyl Lomachenko after his win over Jamaine Ortiz last Saturday night in New York.
It’s interesting how Haney is suddenly showing a lot of interest in fighting Lomachenko, 34, after how he looked against Ortiz.
Before that, Haney had seemed ambivalent about taking the fight against the two-time Olympic gold medalist, but you can argue that Loma’s effort against Jamaine has done a lot of Devin’s self-confidence.
Lomachenko showed a lot of ring rust against the previously unbeaten Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs), which is understandable for a fighter that is coming off a year-long layoff due to him at war in his home country.
Perhaps in reaction to Loma’s less-than-sparking performance last weekend, trainer/manager Bill is eager for Lomachenko and Haney to battle.
Bill is concerned that Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) will need time to prepare for the fight. Lomachenko didn’t say how much time he’ll need to get ready for Haney, but it’s reasonable to assume that he’s talking about five months.
When you’re preparing for a fight against a guy that looks like a welterweight like Haney, there’s nothing wrong with Lomachenko taking five months to get ready for the clash.
Well, Haney may need to go up to 140 to take a fight while he waits for Lomachenko to prepare because it’s unlikely he’ll make weight unless he drains himself dramatically.
If Haney is too impatient to wait for Lomachenko to prepare, he can always move up to 140 in the meantime and face the winner of the Regis Prograis vs. Jose Zepeda fight for the WBC light welterweight title.
There’s also Teofimo Lopez, whom Haney could fight while he waits for Lomachenko.
“Devin said, ‘Let’s make it happen,’” said Bill Haney to AKHi TV. “Devin is a hunter, and he’s hunting for greatness. Now it ultimately comes down to making the show and making it happen.
“We’re fully committed to this fight, unlike Paulie Malignaggi, who said we wouldn’t do it [fight Vasyl Lomachenko]. Not only are we doing it, but we’re also spearheading it and encouraging others of influence to be a part of it.
“It’s going to be a historic event in boxing for the ages. The truth is, we’ve been hunting Lomachenko forever. You get in the ring with Lomachenko, who said he wouldn’t fight you unless you got a belt.
“We’re hunting for Lomachenko. Lomachenko says he needs time. We were walking out of the ring, and he said, ‘I need time, but I’ll be ready.’ I said, ‘Dev, did you hear that s**t?’ ‘Yeah, I heard it.’ I said, ‘Let’s see who else raises their hand while he’s taking his time.
“Lomachenko is someone that Devin has been trying to put in the ring based on what people think about him. What is want to make sure is this is the guy because we have nothing to beat Lomachenko for other than the respect of the people that respect him.
“This is the guy we’re looking for, this is the guy we want to fight, and it’s a testament to Devin that he wanted to fight him then, and he wants to fight him now,” said Bill.
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