By Craig Daly: Devin Haney is proposing to use any method at his disposal to successfully defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Vasily Lomachenko next month on May 20th to defeat him, take the #1 pound-for-pound spot, and move on to face the other top 135-pounders on his list.
Whether Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) can continue to make lightweight after the fight with Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) remains to be seen because the 24-year-old looks like he’s still growing, and if it’s true, what Gervonta Davis said about him rehydrating 24 lbs for his last fight to 159 lbs, it would seem like his days at 135 are numbered.
As big as Haney looked on stage with Lomachenko at their kickoff press conference last week, it will be an incredible feat for him to make weight for this fight next month on May 20th.
Haney vs. Lomachenko will be shown on ESPN+ PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Devin had hoped that Saudi Arabia would host the fight, but it didn’t happen.
“I will show that I’m above him as well,” said Haney to Sky Sports about Lomachenko. “This is time for me to replace him and fill that position. I know he is a tough competitor, but I will be the better man that night.”
If Haney beats Lomachenko, that would be the best win of his career because he’s still not been tested against elite-level lightweights since turning professional in 2016. Haney’s best wins at the pro level have come against these fighters:
- Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz
- George Kambosos Jr x 2
- Jorge Linares
- Yuriorkis Gamboa
Linares is the only name that stands among Haney’s best wins, but he was 35 years old when the two fought in 2021 and not the fighter he’s been in his prime.
Right now, it’s hard to know if Haney is a legit talent or just a weight bully who chooses not to fight in a division suited to his body size. If Haney is rehydrating to around 160, he should be campaigning at welterweight because those guys come in around that weight after weighing in at the 147-lb limit.
“You’ll see me being victorious by any means necessary, me being dominant, me being skillful, me showcasing things you haven’t seen yet in my arsenal, me just dismantling a southpaw,” said Haney.
“May 20 is Loma, and once I get past him, we can make the other fights happen. I have a few names on a list that I’d like to fight. We’re signing them off; we check-mark each guy. It all starts with Lomachenko, and then we’ll go from there.”