By Craig Daly: Vasyl Lomachenko says Devin Haney is “scared” to give him a rematch because he knows he lost their fight, and he doesn’t want to face him again to get beaten.
Lomachenko says Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) will now move up to 140 and face “regular boxers” because he now knows his level. He won’t want to risk his unbeaten record by fighting quality fighters at light welterweight.
It is surprising that after all the bold talk that Haney did before his fight with Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) that he doesn’t feel the need to clear up the controversy surrounding their fight.
Haney appears to be waiting for Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis to offer to fight him for him to make the kind of money that Ryan Garcia recently got against the popular Baltimore native.
He may get his wish because Gervonta’s trainer Calvin Ford said this weekend that he wants Haney next for him, and if that fight fails to take place, a rematch with Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz will be the plan-B move.
In an interview with ESNEWS, Lomachenko offered his perspective on his match against Devin Haney. Despite the official results, Lomachenko firmly believes that he won the fight, scoring it 8-4 in his favor. He suggests that a more objective assessment would probably come close to 7-5, but he is confident in his win.
Lomachenko implied Haney’s reluctance for a rematch is due to fear, positing that Haney is aware that he lost the original bout. Lomachenko feels vindicated by Haney’s comments after the ninth round, which he interprets as acknowledgment of defeat. He further predicts Haney will move up to the 140-pound division and focus on more run-of-the-mill opponents rather than attempting to fight Gervonta Davis.
Lomachenko critiqued Haney’s rhetoric about his legacy, contending that if Haney were genuinely concerned about his legacy, he would pursue a rematch. However, he personally does not feel the need for a rematch, asserting that he sleeps well with the understanding of his performance. He challenges Haney to “be a strong man inside” and set up a rematch, although he doubts it will happen.
Loma accepts that he lost the twelfth round but clarifies that he was strategically conserving his energy and scoring points. He ended the fight certain of his victory and awaited the announcer to crown him ‘the new’ champion, which never happened. Lomachenko expressed some disappointment in the decision-making process but maintains his love for the sport and encourages fans to continue supporting boxing.
Despite the controversial outcome, Lomachenko expressed gratitude for his substantial fan base. His manager, Egis Klimas, shared Lomachenko’s belief that he won the fight against Haney. Klimas stated he was prepared to consider Haney as pound-for-pound #1 had he genuinely defeated Lomachenko. For now, he asserted that the biggest names in the weight class are Lomachenko and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
