Devin Haney, the WBC lightweight champion, still vividly remembers the day he was declared the titleholder by default. At the age of 20, he had aspired to challenge the then-unified lightweight titlist, Vasily Lomachenko, rather than simply accepting the easiest route to his first major title. The tables have turned, and now Haney is set to defend his undisputed crown against the former three-division titlist.
Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) has never been apprehensive about agreeing to the fight, nor has he been concerned about his plans to make Lomachenko pay for the delay in their matchup. “He made me wait four years to fight him since I was 20 years old,” said Haney during the first part of ESPN's Blood, Sweat & Tears: Haney vs. Lomachenko series. “I don’t like Loma. I want to beat him bad. I want to send him into retirement.”
The fully unified lightweight title will be defended by Haney against Ukraine’s Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) in a May 20 ESPN Pay-Per-View event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Haney's current hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. Haney first eyed the fight in 2019, when Lomachenko claimed the vacant WBC title and defended his WBA and WBO lightweight belts against England’s Luke Campbell. Shortly after, Haney secured the interim WBC lightweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of Zaur Abdullaev.
Ironically, Haney took Lomachenko’s place in the fight against George Kambosos Jr., as Lomachenko was unable to commit due to his obligation to serve in the Ukrainian military amid the ongoing Russian invasion. Haney capitalized on this opportunity, signing a lucrative three-fight deal—two trips to Australia and now his long-desired showdown with the Ukrainian southpaw who has been on his radar since he first entered the title picture as a rising 20-year-old. Haney is currently favored by bet365 sportsbook at -275 to triumph over Lomachenko, who enters as the challenger and the smaller fighter. “Loma has never been the underdog,” noted Haney. “This time, he is fighting the champion. The bigger guy, the stronger guy, faster guy, younger guy. All odds are stacked against him.”
Image Credit: Sky Sports