Haney vs. Lomachenko: It’s a “can’t lose” fight for Devin says Eddie Hearn

By Boxing News - 11/11/2022 - Comments

By Barry Holbrook: Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says he now sees Devin Haney absolutely beating Vasyl Lomachenko in a “can’t lose” fight if the two battle it out next in 2023.

Hearn has always felt that Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) would beat Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs), but now he views it as a much “easier” fight for him than if he’d fought him earlier.

Lomachenko and Haney are in negotiations for a fight that could take place in the first quarter of next year, provided there are no hiccups that disrupt the talks.

Hearn didn’t mention the 34-year-old Lomachenko’s recent fight against Jamaine Ortiz, but it’s likely that he is partially basing his belief of Haney defeating him on how Loma performed in that match on October 29th.

Lomachenko looked old, slow, and not nearly the fighter he’d been during the prime of his career.

If you compare Loma to how he fought in the first of his professional career against Jose Luis Ramirez in 2013, it’s literally like two different people because Lomachenko has deteriorated so much in the last nine years that he’s not even half the fighter he’d been back then.

“I’m not sure if he’s a free agent. I know he has minimums in his contract to fight Lomachenko,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV when asked if he’ll attempt to re-sign undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney after his three-fight contract expires after his next fight.

“I think now the Lomachenko fight is a great fight for Devin now. By the way, people shouldn’t give Devin criticism because Devin wanted that fight when Loma was in his prime. He actually told me, ‘Get me Lomachenko.’

“We positioned him with the WBC to become mandatory, and then they made him [Lomachenko] the [franchise champion]. Basically, he wanted that fight. I’m not saying it’s an easy fight [for Haney against Lomachenko], but now it’s a much, much easier fight than when he was trying to fight him. It’s mad. The franchise is gone now, really,” said Hearn.

Not only is the much younger 23-year-old Haney fighting at a higher level than Lomachenko now, but he’s got the size advantage over him.

When the two stood across from each other indie the ring after Loma’s narrow victory over Jamaine Ortiz on October 29th in New York, Haney looked gargantuan, literally three divisions bigger.

You couldn’t look at the two fighters and think there would be any possibility of a fight between them. That’s how much bigger Haney was than him on the night.

“So, I think it’s a really good fight for Devin Haney right now,” said Hearn. “In my opinion, he can’t lose to Lomachenko. So, get that, and then I see him moving up to 140, really, unless Ryan Garcia, Tank, these guys are still floating about at 135,” said Hearn.

“I was with him last week. We get on so well. I always had a dream that I would be there with Devin when he became undisputed.

“I knew he’d do it, but unfortunately, he could never become undisputed with us because they [Top Rank] froze us out, and they froze DAZN out, and he had to do what he had to do,” said Hearn.

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