Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko both have golden opportunities on May 20.
For Haney, the undisputed 135-pound champion, this is his best chance to prove he’s what he says he is – one of the few best boxers in the world. For Lomachenko, it was an opportunity to regain past glory at the age of 35.
They are scheduled to meet on pay-per-view from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I’m so lucky to be here,” Haney said at Thursday’s opening press conference. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve wanted this fight since 2019. I begged and called for it. The time has finally come.”
Soft-spoken Lomachenko isn’t as lively as Haney but he knows what’s at stake.
“I’m so excited for May 20th,” he said. “This is my second chance, and I will do my best. Thank you Team Haney for this opportunity. We are all prepared for this.”
Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) went on a steep trajectory. The final four battles of the talented technician are as follows:
- One-sided decision for former three-team champion Jorge Linares in May 2021, his breakout victory.
- Another clear decision about the former champion, Joseph Diaz Jr., came in December of that year.
- A dominant performance on the way to a unanimous decision against George Kambosos Jr. last June in Australia to become the undisputed lightweight champion.
- And that result was repeated in a rematch against the Kambosos four months later, again in the loser’s homeland.
That run lifted him up many weight lists, including Boxing Junkie’s (Number 15). And he’s only 24.
Haney said: “The better the opponent, the better I am. “Loma is a good fighter. But I’m on a completely different level. On the night of battle, the world will see it. The world will see how good Devin Haney really is.”
The world has seen how good Lomachenko is – or how good he has been, depending on where he is at the moment.
Arguably the greatest amateur boxer of all time became a three-division champion in his first 12 professional fights, a remarkable feat even if you think the value of the title has been reduced. As a result, he is widely recognized as the best boxer on the planet.
That changed when he lost his undisputed 135-pound championship to Teofimo Lopez in October 2020, even though he entered that bout with a shoulder injury.
He’s only fought three times since, including a single battle – a broad decision over Jamaine Ortiz last October – since Russia invaded his homeland of Ukraine last February.
“You can’t think about your future when war is approaching your home,” he said. “You just think about life, about family and about the people around you. You think about how you could live another day. You can’t think about your job. You can’t think of a professional sport.”
However, the Ukrainian government has encouraged athletes to compete to raise the morale of the people.
The match against Ortiz marked his return. And now he will take part in his first real big event since losing to Lopez, who lost the title to the Kambosos. A win would allow him to climb back up into the pound-for-pound rankings — he’s currently 11th at Boxing Junkie — and regain all lost belts if he raises his hand.
Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) has always been an extremely confident fighter but he made no bold predictions for the fight with Haney.
“We never know what will happen,” he said. “We can prepare a strategy, but in the ring all can change. Right now, I don’t know. I just train hard and prepare. I believe in God and in my team.”
