#DevinHaney impressed a lot of boxing observers with two lopsided decision wins over George Kambosos Jr.
So not only is it easy to make but making it makes a lot of sense too.
Haney is unbeaten in 29 fights, and though he earned belted status from the WBC in 2019, he wasn’t taken wholly seriously as a champion until he dethroned the previously unbeaten Kambosos-who’d held the IBF, WBA, and WBO titles-with a wide decision in their first get-together five months ago.
Repeating the feat this month legitimized his claim as the king of the lightweights and piqued the competitive interest of Lomachenko, who’d held the WBA and WBO belts himself before losing a pandemic-bubbled decision to IBF champ Teofimo Lopez two years ago in Las Vegas. Lopez dropped the cache to Kambosos 13 months later, clearing the way for Haney’s two-fight ascension this year.
Now 34, Lomachenko was a two-time Olympic champion before he turned pro in 2013, won a world title at featherweight in his third fight and added a claim at 130 pounds before climbing again to become a full-time lightweight in 2018.
He was 4-0 with two KOs in the division before the upset loss to Lopez and has won three in a row since-stopping Masayoshi Nakatani in nine rounds and outpointing ex-champ Richard Commey over 12 before beating the 26-year-old Ortiz, who’d arrived at 16-0-1 since 2016.
He's ranked first among Haney’s contenders by both the WBC and WBO and third and fourth by the IBF and WBA, respectively. He’s also ranked first among the lightweight contenders behind Haney by The Ring, which has him sixth overall on the pound-for-pound list but does not include Haney in the top 10.
That's even more reason to lock down a fight that’s easy to make, makes sense in terms of championship lineage and rankings, and, best of all, is one that both would-be competitors seem to crave.
Haney is one of the few undisputed champions in a sport splintered by multiple sanctioning bodies.
“That's definitely a fight that I'll entertain,” Haney said after the Kambosos rematch.
“We take on all comers. No matter who it is. We want to fight the best fighters in the world. I believe I'm the best fighter in the world. Whoever is next, bring him on.”
In #Lomachenko, the 23-year-old would face an opponent over whom he’d have advantages in height (5'8" to 5'7") and reach (71" to 65.5"), not to mention a significant edge in hand speed.
On the flip side, Lomachenko could cause problems with a southpaw style and elite-level footwork that allow him to play sound defense and utilize unique angles to land punches. There’s also a sizable gap in experience thanks to the older man’s nearly 400-fight amateur career compared to Haney’s 146.
And unless he’s a superior actor, too, he sounds like he’s hungry.
“I prepare for this moment,” Lomachenko said. “I need this chance.
“I need this fight. Undisputed. Undisputed world champion.”
#haneylomachenko
Негізгі бет Спорт Devin Haney vs Vasyl Lomachenko | Full Fight Highlights | Haney beats Lomachenko by points!!!
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