Teofimo Lopez picking Vasily Lomachenko over Devin Haney for May 20th fight

By Boxing News - 04/14/2023 - Comments

By Craig Daly: Former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is picking Vasily Lomachenko to defeat undisputed 135-lb champ Devin Haney next month in their fight on May 20th on ESPN+ PPV.

Teofimo still admires Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) despite beating him three years ago. Teo believes that the former three-division world champion Loma is unbeatable and respects his ring IQ and the different things he can do inside the ring.

Boxing fans & the media believe that the 24-year-old Haney’s youth and particularly his huge size for the lightweight division will be too much for the 35-year-old Lomachenko, who would be better suited at 130 or 126, where his small frame is better-suited.

What is unknown is if Haney will even make weight for this fight. He looked very, very, very thin, pale & drained, making weight for his rematch with George Kambosos Jr last October in Australia.

Since then, Haney has been eating and blowing up. Instead of keeping his weight down, Haney has gotten big and looks like a junior middleweight. If Haney fails to make weight, the May 2oth fight will still take place, but only Lomachenko could win the four lightweight belts.

Depending on how overweight Haney is for the fight, Lomachenko might be too small to deal with the size and would lose. In the aftermath, Haney will move up to 140 or, more likely, try again to make 135 if he can get a lucrative fight against the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Ryan Garcia winner or possibly a battle with Shakur Stevenson.

“Nobody beats Lomachenko, nobody,” said Teofimo Lopez Esnews, believing that Vasily Lomachenko will defeat undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney on May 20th.

“I’ve been in the ring with the man; he’s smart, and he has so many different tactics that I never even thought of being possible,” Teofimo said, referring to his fight with Lomachenko in October 2020 in Las Vegas, which he won by a surprisingly wide twelve-round unanimous decision in a battle that appeared to be razor-close.

“This guy has dirty tactics, he has clean tactics, and overall has the experience. I don’t think any of them are ready for that,” said Teofimo about Lomachenko.

Three years ago, Teofimo defeated IBF/WBC/WBO/Ring Magainzee 135-lb champion Lomachenko by a twelve-round unanimous decision in October 2020 by the scores 116–112, 117–111, and 119–109.

However, most boxing fans felt the fight was much closer than what Nevada judges turned in. Some even saw the fight as a draw, as Teofimo gassed out after six rounds and was taking punishment from Lomachenko in the entire second half.

What surprised many people was Teofimo’s decision not to give Lomachenko a rematch. Teofimo justified his decision not to provide Loma with a rematch, saying, “Everybody [in Loma’s team] was being a d**k to me, my father. He [Lomachenko] didn’t want to put a rematch clause in our contract.”

Most fans saw it as a classic example of Teofimo lacking the courage to give Lomachenko a second fight. Instead, they chose to play it safe by fighting George Kambosos Jr, who looked beatable and nowhere near worthy of his #1 ranking with the IBF.

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