By Brian Webber: Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney feels that Top Rank wants to purposefully delay his title defense against Vasyl Lomachenko, knowing that it’ll be more difficult for him to make weight the longer the fight is pushed into the future.
Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) says he wants to defend no later than March against Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs). With Ramadan coming up, Haney could put on weight due to his eating well, making it even more challenging to make the 135-lb limit.
If Haney is weakened from making weight for his fight with the former three-division world champion Lomachenko in May, it gives Loma a better shot at winning. Even if Lomachenko is outweighed by a huge number by Haney, he’ll have a shot at winning if Devin is drained.
Haney looked skeletal in making weight for his rematch with George Kambosos Jr last October, and he’s since packed on a massive amount of pounds.
With this being Haney’s last fight of his three-fight contract with Top Rank, there’s no incentive for them to make the fight with Lomachenko in May because Devin is leaving them anyway. Lomachenko isn’t going anywhere in terms of leaving Top Rank, so it’s better for the promotional company if he wins.
Devin looked like a junior middleweight while attending Lomachenko’s fight against Jamaine Ortiz on October 29th. Losing all that weight is going to be hard for Haney, particularly if he adds even more size during Ramadan.
I don’t call guys out once the start to slip… I call them out when they look unbeatable! That’s the difference between me & these other fighters
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) December 11, 2022
These people want try to push my next fight with Loma to May… knowing the longer I stay at the weight the harder it is to make! Let’s do this shit in March!
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) December 13, 2022
Top Rank https://t.co/KGUxyM1Slw
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) December 13, 2022
I literally told Top Rank I wanted to fight before Ramadan
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) December 13, 2022
It’s not about the someone else… it’s about giving me a date to fight! You know they want they boy Loma to have another shot! https://t.co/NzbZfpkSOx
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) December 13, 2022
“Mr. Lomachenko, what is being described to me as being a fight that can potentially happen in May,” said Bill Haney to Fighthype.
“I would ask a question. If you are 100% ready to go and you are 100% in favor of this fight. Are you as anxious to fight as Devin because Devin wants to fight before then?”
Bill Haney should direct his questions to Top Rank because they’re the ones that will be in charge of when the fight with Lomachenko will take place. If they want the fight in May, then when it’s going to happen?
Haney should start taking weight off now so that he’s not put in a situation where he has to strip off a ton of size for a May.
“We don’t want any hangups or any holdups. We’re ready to go, and hopefully, this thing can get handled sooner than later,” said Bill Haney in his message to Lomachenko.