All belts, all options: Where does Devin Haney go from here after beating Vasiliy Lomachenko?

LAS VEGAS – Devin Haney raised his hand for the 30th time in 30 games, but the usual cheers were replaced by boos from many of the 14,436 people present Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. tickets sold out.

After all, Vasiliy Lomachenko produced more eye-catching combinations, especially late in the game, leaving the impression on fans that he had won the undisputed lightweight championship from Haney. But it’s Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) Who deserves a nod? on the power of his precise body punch and right hand made Lomachenko blush.

“People could say what they wanted to say; the judges had a unanimous decision,” Haney said. “That’s all that matters are the judges. Every judge is on the same page.”

Indeed, Haney came up against Lomachenko in the toughest match of his career with scores 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113. The 24-year-old did just that by stopping Lomachenko’s late push to win the final round with all three scorecards, the difference between a win and a draw.

And when Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) was able to close the gap early in the teamfight, Haney was there to push him back with a brilliant jab and a right-handed jab over and over again. other.

Haney, 10th boxer for ESPN, said: “Working out my body won me over, so I knew I had to invest in that body. “We’ve seen a lot of tapes of Loma; he’s not the most body-imposed person, so we stuck to the game plan, breaking him down.

“He’s going to have some good moments throughout the half, but he didn’t end the half strong because we invested in fitness.”

Haney hasn’t shown much interest in a post-fight rematch, saying he’s already proven to a future Hall of Famer that he’s top in the 135-pound weight class. Haney said he can fight in the 140-pound weight class and see how he feels before making a decision about his four 135-pound titles, but he can also compete in the lightweight category forever.

“No weight loss for me at 135 was easy; it required a lot of discipline,” says Haney. “I’m very fat for my weight. I’ve been at 135 since I was 16.”

haney, who has never signed a long-term advertising contract, is again a freelance worker, giving him the flexibility he craves. If he chooses to stay with Top Rank, he could keep an eye on the winner of the June 10 junior welterweight title match between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez Jr. Otherwise, a match with Shakur Stevenson – who has faced Haney in the ring and says Lomachenko deserves the nod to Haney – could be of great interest.

The biggest fight for Haney is Gervonta Davis, who is affiliated with PBC. Haney, along with his former promoter, Eddie Hearn, can also look for fights at 140 with Regis Prograis and Jack Catterall, who are affiliated with Matchroom.

Haney doesn’t need to prove herself at this point. But doubts remained after the way Lomachenko performed at 35 – after a disappointing performance against Jamaine Ortiz, the long-understood – and especially with Lomachenko overtaking Haney with lightning strikes.

Even if Lomachenko failed to fulfill his dream of becoming an undisputed champion, he proved that he is still one of the best boxers in the world. Who he fights next remains unclear, but whether it’s Stevenson, Davis or any of the other top lightweights, Lomachenko is clearly threatening to win any of those bouts. .

Lomachenko nearly beat Lopez with his cuffs torn but said in his match against Haney that he was perfectly healthy. A Lomachenko at 100 percent is dangerous for anyone. The top rating encourages both Stevenson and Lomachenko, making it a natural fit without the next Haney.

Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Ukraine, leaves Haney’s hometown, which is loved with much affection and with a new contract in his career. But it was Haney who walked away with the post-winning trophies he certainly deserved on his way to greater heights.

Bill Haney, Haney’s father and coach, said: “One star has set and one has risen. “I’m happy to say that the king of boxing is Devin Haney. In the words of Teddy Atlas, who once said to Timothy Bradley, ‘You have to be a firefighter; you have to walk through fire,’ and that’s what Devin did. .”