Devin Haney is one of the greatest active boxers. The WBC lightweight champion since 2019 and undisputed champion since 2022, Haney is 30-0 in his illustrious career. One of the defining factors of his style is his stamina. Going into his May 20 bout, his last six bouts had gone a full 12 rounds. But his latest fight would likely be his most challenging.
Vasiliy Lomachenko is a living legend. The Ukrainian fighter is a two-time gold medallist and former WBA and WBO title holder. 17-2 in his career, the only thing he didn’t have on his resume was an undisputed title. That’s what led to the blockbuster fight with Haney in front of a packed crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Haney Wins But Fans Are Unconvinced
Haney dominated the first half of the fight, working the body and jabbing the Ukrainian hard. However, Lomachenko rallied in the last six rounds as he showcased his trademark multi-angled flurries. Despite Lomachenko’s work, Haney defended his title and scored his seventh consecutive 12-round, unanimous decision victory. But fans, and Lomachenko, remain unconvinced. “I don’t want to talk about the decision. All [the] people see what happened here today,” said Lomachenko, who cried in his locker room after the fight. Additionally, Lomachenko’s manager, Egas Klmias, called the decision a “robbery”.
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The fight was also proceeded by a shove at the weigh-in that will cost Haney $4 million, a source told ESPN. Additionally, fans were inclined to agree. “Really feel for Loma. Rejected the chance at undisputed vs Kambosos, then for me gets this win vs Haney taken away from him. How one judge gave Haney round 10 i’ll never know…” one wrote on Twitter. “Biggest Robbery of the year LOMA won that fight” added another. Klmias also indicated that he was preparing to file an appeal for the fight. The sentiment was also echoed by boxer Shakur Stevenson. “Lomachenko should be undisputed champion. He won that fight,” said Stevenson, ESPN’s No. 9 pound-for-pound boxer. “He landed the cleaner punches and pushed the pace.” Do you think the judges made the wrong decision? Let us know in the comments.
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