Haney: Lomachenko is next if the deal makes sense
Haney #Haney
Vasiliy Lomachenko took a final step toward a clash with undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney tonight, winning a tough fight with Jamaine Ortiz, which was meant to be the final hurdle.
With both Haney (29-0, 15 KO) and Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KO) under Top Rank contract, it’s the biggest fight available for either, and really is the biggest fight available at 135 lbs right now, at least that can actually possibly be made, since Gervonta Davis — arguably a bigger star than either — won’t be fighting either one of them next.
The two shared the ring after, with Haney saying he’s ready for the fight, and Lomachenko saying again that he’s ready to do whatever needs to be done to make the fight. He has said repeatedly that Haney is, indeed, the A-side, and that he needs the fight more than Haney does right now.
Haney added on Twitter that the fight will be next “if it makes sense,” and one figures it will, since it’s an easy-to-make, in-house fight:
Haney also called the 117-111 Lomachenko card in Saturday’s fight “outrageous,” and agreed with Shakur Stevenson that a fight between the two of them is “the big one,” to which he attached the “bag of money” emoji.
In theory, Top Rank could also do Haney vs Stevenson instead of Haney vs Lomachenko, but the plan has clearly been to set up Haney vs Lomachenko. Devin just fought on Oct. 15, beating George Kambosos Jr a second time, and the timing and everything else lines up for the Lomachenko fight.
As for when that might happen, the spring of 2023 would be a good guess, somewhere between March and May.