A blockbuster lightweight championship fight is slated to land in ‘Sin City’ this weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, as undefeated American puncher, Devin Haney looks to lodge a successful title defense amid a superb title run, as he takes on former world champion and Ukraine fan-favorite, Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Haney, 24, the current WBA, WBO, WBC, and IBF lightweight champion, who boasts an undefeated 29-0 professional record, will attempt to land thirty straight professional victories this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada – taking on Lomachenko.
As for two-time Olympic gold medal winner, Lomachenko, the 35-year-old has yet to touch world championship gold since he retained his titles in a 2019 win over Luke Campbell – shortly losing his crowns against Teofimo Lopez in October of the following year.
Unbeaten as a professional as he takes on the aging Lomachenko, Californian upstart, Haney is currently sitting as a quite frank and clear betting favorite with BetWay to defeat the former – priced currently as short as -250.
A hugely decorated and celebrated amateur fighter before turning professional back in October 2013 after winning Olympic gold for the second time, 19 fight professional veteran, Lomachenko, a master of footwork, is hotly-closing as a large betting underdog at +200 to land Haney’s championship belts this weekend in the desert.
Initially winning WBC lightweight spoils back in 2019, Haney, who has since racked up a stunning six consecutive successful title defenses in the four years since, Haney has landed triumphs over Alfredo Santiago, Yuriokis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr., and in a pair of back-to-back fights landed consecutive decision wins over Sydney native, George Kambosos Jr. in high-profile championship fights.
17-2 as a professional from 19 outings inside the squared circle as a professional, Lomachenko’s first professional loss came against Orlando Salido in his sophomore outing back in March 2014 in a WBO featherweight title pursuit.
Dropping his championships to the above-mentioned Lopez in 2020, Lomachenko successfully rebounded to win three consecutive fights, notably winning a WBO inter-continental lightweight crown in a unanimous decision win over Richard Commey in December 2021 at Madison Square Garden.
Suffering just decision losses during his 13 year professional career, at the time of publication, Lomachenko is 7/1 to land a knockout victory over Haney – and subsequently hand the Californian his first professional loss in boxing.
A supreme technical boxer, akin to Lomachenko, Haney – who holds 15 separate career knockout triumphs and 14 other decision wins during his perfect, gold-laden professional career, is priced at 11/2 to finish Lomachenko via KO, or TKO during their lightweight title affair this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sharing his thoughts on the championship matchup, Devin Haney’s father, Bill, claimed that Lomachenko would be “overwhelmed” by his son.
“For Lomachenko to say that the only tool he needs to concentrate on is the jab, he’s going to be overwhelmed,” Haney explained. “And he’s going to make great underestimation of what Devin brings.”
“We know that Lomachenko does a lot of good things,” Haney said. “We won’t say it’s only one thing, but on May 20th, Saturday night, the world will get a chance to see how great Devin is.”