Haney Beats Loma In A Debatable Decision As The Ukrainian Is Not Happy – ‘I Don’t Want To Talk’
Devin Haney beat Vasiliy Lomachenko via a unanimous decision to retain his undisputed lightweight titles in a ‘debatable’ decision.
In a highly compelling fight, the American shaded it on the scorecards: 116-112, 115-113, 115-113.
Haney started aggressively, as he pinned Lomachenko’s head back, while the Ukrainian used his footwork to move inside the jab to return fire.
Three rounds in and we're wihessing chess at the highest level ♟️👑 pic.twitter.com/9uZSV5jW5x
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 21, 2023
Lomachenko kept up a fast pace, despite being at the age of 35, as Haney attempted to slow down the three-division champion with a sustained attack to the body.
Lomachenko continued to move in and out of range, as Haney fired back with left hooks to the southpaw stance in an even first half.
At the halfway stage, there was nothing to separate the pair. Haney began to control the seventh round, as the lull in the following two rounds favoured the American who appeared ahead.
You're witnessing the two best fighters at 135 🍿 pic.twitter.com/3aKJsBoMK5
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 21, 2023
Lomachenko struggled to control the distance until the tenth when it swung in the Ukrainian’s favour. Lomachenko began to land on Haney at will, as the eye catching combinations lit up the Las Vegas crowd.
The same continued until the 12th where Haney reasserted his control. He controlled the distance and kept the Ukrainian at bay in a round that ultimately proved crucial.
Post-Fight Comments
“Man, Lomachenko is a future Hall of Famer. It was a blessing. I take my hat off to Loma. He’s my toughest opponent by far. He’s very crafty and we put on a great fight for the fans.
“He’s a crafty fighter. He turns it up in the championship rounds. I just gotta take my hat off, he’s a great fighter. It’s all experience.
“We’re going to go back, watch the fight, and reflect on it. I’ve been at 135 a long, long time. I’ve been at 135 since I was 16 years old. We’re gonna go back to the lab and figure out what’s next.
“It’s always been tough for me to make the weight. I accomplished everything at 135. I just beat a future Hall of Famer. This is my eighth title defense, so we just gotta see. There’s a lot of great fighters in the 135 division. If it makes sense, we’ll stay at 135,” Haney
“I don’t want to talk about this. All the people saw what happened today. … Look, I think I showed I’m in good shape. See you next time. I can’t talk about this right now. It’s just, it’s not a comfortable moment for me.
“Everything was within the rules, it was good. Everything was clean. He will be better, but right now he is a top fighter, he’s a good fighter, but he’s not a pound-for-pound fighter,” Lomachenko
Social Media Reaction
stolen fight, this one was won by vasyl
— Diego (@Dsgods01) May 21, 2023
Numbers don’t lie 😴
— His Royal Freshness 💫 (@crissyndatt) May 21, 2023
Devin won 9-3
— Steven (@thfcsteven1) May 21, 2023
And Still 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— AT (@manggoo1777) May 21, 2023