Haney v Lomachenko: Big Fight Preview

Davin Haney defends his undisputed World Lightweight crown against former three-weight world champion Vasily Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas this Saturday, in what is anticipated to be one of the fights of 2023.

Haney, with an impeccable record of 29-0, including 15 knockouts, currently reigns as the unbeaten lightweight champion of the world. Renowned as a fighter deserving of pound-for-pound recognition, Haney is yet to reach his 25th birthday.

Facing him is Lomachenko, a seasoned challenger who previously held three out of four of the significant lightweight titles for an extended period. The Ukrainian has proven his mettle in this ultra-competitive weight class since 2018. And, prior to his success as a lightweight, he held titles in both the featherweight and super featherweight categories. His incredibly dominant amateur career record of 396-1 allowed him to contend for a world title in his second professional fight, a contest controversially lost.

The other defeat on Lomachenko's 17-2 record (15 KO wins), was a unanimous points defeat at the hands of Teofimo Lopez. Lomachenko will look to assert his credentials against Haney, a fighter with clear physical advantages aged 11 years younger.

This weekend's fight showcases the pinnacle of the lightweight division, with the victor set to rank alongside the likes of Gervonta Davis and rising former featherweight and super featherweight champion, Shakur Stevenson, as the crème de la crème in the 135 pounds category.

At 5-foot-8, possessing a 71-inch reach, Haney is expected to graduate to super lightweight within the upcoming year, and potentially to welterweight later in his career.

Contrastingly, Lomachenko stands 5-foot-7 with a reach of 66 inches. He celebrated his 35th birthday in February, giving him a decade's worth of additional experience over his opponent.

Lomachenko is praised for his sudden sharp changes in angle and level, though such moves seem less frequent as he has moved into his mid-30s. On the other hand, Haney, a defensive wizard, resembles a young Floyd Mayweather disciple – a cautious player who can effectively counterpunch and has exceptional command of his range.

Lomachenko boasts a superior knockout ratio. However, his power seems diminished at the lightweight compared to his performance in lighter weight categories. At 135 pounds, Lomachenko holds a record of 7-1 with 3 KOs. Some say his age began to show during the decision defeat to Teofimo Lopez in a unification bout in 2020, when he was notably slow to gain momentum.

Following commanding performances against the markedly less skilled Masayoshi Nakatani and Richard Commey, he got a decision win against a daring Jamaine Ortiz last October. This was a highly competitive bout against the rising and then-undefeated lightweight. Much like in the Lopez fight, Lomachenko took some time to find his stride before securing enough rounds to win unanimously. A scorecard of 115-113 in favor of Lomachenko was a fair reflection, and a modest victory.

Lomachenko's only downfall at lightweight was against Jorge Linares during his 135-pound debut. He managed to recover from a sixth-round knockdown to halt Linares in Round 10.

Haney, too, had a challenging bout with Linares. Despite largely dominating his professional career, Haney barely scraped past Linares by decision during a lightweight title defense in May 2021, long after Lomachenko had defeated him. Winning with scores of 115-113 and 116-112 x2, Haney managed to hold on, despite losing the final two rounds after being hit with a powerful right hand in Round 10.

Haney failed to knock out Yurikois Gamboa in a title defense in November 2020, despite Gamboa having been knocked down multiple times in his past fights. This highlights Haney's relative lack of punching power, which may not sufficiently threaten Lomachenko despite Haney's defensive skills.

Carrying the momentum of two decisive victories over Geroge Kambosos, Haney appears to be on a march to greatness. And, despite Lomachenko's more accomplished career, the odds justifiably point to a metaphorical passing of the torch in this fight.