Devin Haney’s dad, Bill, says he’s “optimistic” that the legacy fight against Vasyl Lomachenko will be happening next after the two met inside the ring last Saturday night following Loma’s victory over Jamaine Ortiz in New York.
Bill says Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, ESPN, and Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) are all on board and ready to make this fight happen next.
Lomachenko squeaked by Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision in a fight that looked to many boxing fans as a 7-5 match, with Loma pulling out the victory by sweeping rounds 10 through 12 against a badly fatigued previously unbeaten Jamaine.
Bill didn’t anything about whether Haney will have problems making weight for the Lomachenko fight because he looked a lot bigger than him inside the ring, resulting in Loma saying that he resembled a “heavyweight.”
Obviously, Lomachenko was joking, but he would have been dead on correct if he’d said that Devin looked like a junior middleweight. It wasn’t a pretty picture watching Haney eat pizza while attending Lomachenko’s fight last weekend.
If Haney can’t make weight for the fight, his four lightweight belts will still be up for grabs for Lomachenko to win. However, it’ll be tough for Loma if he’s outweighed by 20+ lbs by Haney on the night.
Haney looks bigger than Jamaine Ortiz, who appeared to have a 10 to 15-lb weight advantage over Lomachenko.
“He might have got buzzed,” said Bill Haney to AKhi TV about Vasyl Lomachenko in his fight against Jamaine Ortiz last weekend.
“Loma, [got hurt] a couple of times, but he’s a hell of a warrior. He lost a few rounds, and I saw where he stepped on the gas against Ortiz.
“Ortiz will play the fight back, and they might say that was the changing point in the fight because that’s when you step back on the gas on Loma.
“He took over from there. They’ve [Team Lomachenko] have let us know that they have every intention of making what’s right to make this fight happen. Bob [Arum] has said he’s doing everything to make sure this fight happens as well.
“We have all the support backed by ESPN, and I’m nothing but optimistic about this fight happening. We’re all working together as a team, both Lomachenko’s team and Devin’s team, Top Rank, are working hand in hand to deliver this event at someplace that’s going to be spectacular.
“It’s a true legacy fight for both young men, and I’m just happy to be a part of it. I’m just happy to be in the Devin Haney business and to be a part of something that is going to be so historic.
“Being in the Devin Haney business, I listen a little bit closer than everybody else. What does that mean?” said Bill in reaction to Lomachenko telling Haney that he resembled a “heavyweight” when the two spoke after the fight inside the ring.
“I heard [from Lomachenko], ‘I need a little bit of time, but I’ll be ready.’ Dev wants the biggest and best fights. If the people don’t believe a fighter is ready and the fighter doesn’t believe he’s ready, then the next person can raise his hand.
“I haven’t heard nothing from nobody, but maybe Lomachenko is the best guy? I don’t know,” said Bill Haney
