Bill Haney has revealed that Saturday’s fight with Vasyl Lomachenko is personal for Devin Haney and those around him.
Lomachenko challenges the undisputed lightweight champion at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, and does so years after Haney first started attempting to secure a fight with him.
When he did so the 24-year-old Haney was among the world’s most promising fighters and Lomachenko, 35, was the finest of all. That Haney was by comparison lightly regarded contributed to Lomachenko pursuing alternative opponents – including Teofimo Lopez, among Haney’s rivals – and yet Haney is willingly fighting him at a time when he instead is their division’s number one.
The ambitious Haney’s admirable progress was perhaps stalled by not fighting Lomachenko earlier – had he beaten him when Lopez did his reputation would have been enhanced even more than over the course of his two victories over George Kambosos Jr – and yet the risk remains that as a less experienced figure he would have lost.
Lomachenko’s manager Egis Klimas had been thanking promoters Top Rank and referencing the “respect” that existed between the rival camps when the typically composed Bill Haney – Devin’s father, trainer and manager – interrupted him to say: “We’re only a little bid mad that you didn’t give us the opportunity we’re giving you. We’re just only a little bit mad.
“We believe in god – we believe in Allah – and we know that Allah knows best. You said that it would never happen and I said, ‘We’ll see’.
“Has anybody else ever run your phone like we called your phone to fight Lomachenko? Was anyone else raising their hand to fight this great fighter right here?
“Is there any other top fighter who has run your phone to fight Vasily Lomachenko? To the people – this is a tough guy, Lomachenko. Three-division world champion; two Olympic [gold] medals. My son, 24 years old, has been chasing him because he’s a great fighter. Let’s make that understood. No one has chased Lomachenko, because he’s a great fighter, and Devin has put himself to the test, and given Ukraine’s [under-siege] people something to hope for.”
Since Haney defeated Kambosos Jr in Australia to make history and then defended his titles against him in a similarly one-sided rematch, Gervonta Davis has recorded his greatest win – over Ryan Garcia – and the talented Shakur Stevenson has also moved up to lightweight.
The understandable admiration that exists for both – not yet on a par with as it was for Lomachenko until his narrow defeat by Lopez – has threatened Haney’s status as the leading fighter at 135lbs, potentially contributing to his and his father’s frustration.
“Four years ago Lomachenko was already an established boxer,” Klimas replied. “He didn’t have the time in his career to go and fight a young fighter. Four years ago Devin was not a big name; Devin didn’t have any titles. Lomachenko was always chasing champions; big names.
“I never was thinking Devin was going to be an undisputed champion, and he is – more respect to him. You [Bill Haney] know better than me we’re in the boxing business.
“We had different promoters; we had different [television] networks. You guys were with Matchroom; on DAZN. We were with Top Rank; we were with ESPN. Lomachenko had signed an agreement with ESPN for exclusivity – we couldn’t go to DAZN no matter what.
