TALKING POINT
which culminated in defeat to Teofimo. “A lot of people didn’t see this. But after the loss, I saw myself. I started changing after this moment.”
Though they’d only dare whisper it in the company of boxing aficionados, some might even suggest that Lomachenko has been overrated all along. And if asked to pinpoint the finest victories in his 17-2 (11) career, that viewpoint suddenly and unexpectedly comes into stark focus. Gary Russell Jnr, then 24-0, was beaten by Loma in just his third paid outing and it remains one of his best wins on paper. Though he went on to humiliate Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga and a blown-up Guillermo Rigondeaux in stunning four-fight spree at super-feather from 2016 to 2017, it’s undeniable that Lomachenko’s pomp lacked a fitting rival.
Up at lightweight, besting an in-form but slowing Linares is arguably the standout result of his entire pro career and those aforementioned wins over Pedraza, Crolla and Campbell came in good company, but it wasn’t until he encountered Lopez – and lost – that he faced an opponent who was thought beforehand to have any realistic chance of winning.
So, if we’re to say that Haney is yet to meet anyone as good as Lomachenko, it’s imperative to consider that the opposite might also be true. Loma needs Haney as much as Haney needs him, though for different reasons. Should he win and win well against a boxer deemed younger and quicker, Lomachenko’s case for true greatness becomes open and shut. For Haney, victory over an older and slower rival will only strengthen his reputation in the here and now. For both, however, anything less than a triumph could be seen as a disaster. With the stakes so high, and the skills of the boxers so vast, it’s a fight that’s impossible to resist and one that’s been in the making for a long time.
Four years ago, when Haney was only 20, he started calling for Lomachenko. And last year, negotiations were at an advanced stage when Vasiliy opted to stay in Ukraine and join his country in their fight against the Russian invasion. “He made me wait four years to fight him,” said Haney. “So, I don’t like Loma, I want to beat him bad. I want to send him into retirement.”
Walking away has yet to cross Lomachenko’s mind. Though his best years were likely at the lower weights, he rejected the chance to return to super-featherweight after the defeat to Lopez. “Perhaps I could have dropped back down [to 130lbs] but because my defeat came at lightweight, that was where we felt we had to stay,” said Lomachenko. “Otherwise, it was like admitting failure.” Vasiliy returned in June 2021 with an emphatic ninth round stoppage of Masayoshi Nakatani, followed six months later with a lopsided 12-round points win over Richard Commey and, most recently, in October 2022, a more competitive distance win over the talented but unproven Jamaine Ortiz. Lomachenko insists he is obsessed with winning this contest. It will provide him with the chance to hold all four belts for the first time and remind everyone what a once-in-a-generation talent he remains. “I go to bed with this dream,” he said. “I wake up with this dream. That’s big, big
FATHER and son teams are of course nothing new but it is rare to have them opposing each other in the same fight, as will happen here. The battle of wits, that pits Vasiliy and Anatoly Lomachenko against Devin and Bill Haney, promises to be a fascinating one.
motivation.”
It’s what the greatest boxers can do. As they get older, and when they need it most, some can deliver a majestic showpiece that strengthens their legacy. One could compare it to Roberto Duran beating Davey Moore and Iran Barkley in the 1980s. Perhaps we can also liken it to Sugar Ray Leonard rolling back the years against Marvin Hagler. But Haney, if what we’ve witnessed thus far is indeed a fair indication of his quality, is a more complete opponent than either Moore or Barkley and at a very different stage of his career than Hagler was back in 1987.
Haney wants that legendary status for himself. “I want my name to be remembered forever and with each fight I’m a step closer to that,” he said. “I don’t fight for the money, I fight for legacy and that’s what separates me from all the fighters today. They’re fighting for the wrong things. But I’m different, I’m a throwback.”
Haney fights smartly, with every facet of his game efficient and hard to trump. His lead hand is long and spearing, the accompanying overhand right is a punch to admire and his left hook, delivered spitefully when up close, is a weapon that’s both snazzy and hard to avoid. There are nearly always question marks about his ability to make lightweight, however, such is his zombie-like appearance on the scales on the eve of battle. But we’re yet to see him appear weakened on fight night. And against Lomachenko, who has no problems making 135, he will be able to boast a reach advantage just shy of six inches.
Though basic, almost rudimentary, analysis, that wingspan would appear the key to victory for the younger man, particularly if he can get his jab on target during the early exchanges. And even in the hardest of fights, it can often come down to who can execute those basics the most effectively.
If Lomachenko is to win, one senses he’ll have to do so from the front, make Haney miss early and regularly, and take control from the start. But if Haney bosses the opening three rounds, for example, Lomachenko – even with his wise old head – could be forced to take chances, the kind that Haney can exploit, just to play catchup. And though the younger man, the American does not fight with abandon of youth. His priority is never to wow or to entertain, it is only to win and if the formula is working early, do not