Devin Haney Claims The Title Of “Undisputed Villain” For Himself

Devin Haney Embraces Bad Guy Role; Claims the Nickname “Undisputed Villain”

After receiving heavy outrage over his victory against three-divisional champion Vasyl “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko (17-3, 11KO), undisputed lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney could be on the verge of adopting a new persona as “Undisputed Villain”.

Boxing fans continue to lash out by calling the Haney-Lomachenko outcome a robbery. Moreover, Lomachenko’s manager, Egis Klimas, claims they plan on protesting the fight results.

Was it a close fight? Yes. Was there controversy? Yes. One judge’s scorecard of 116-112 drew the bulk of the attention. But the other two judges saw it 115-113 in favor of Haney, which is typical when it’s a close fight.

IF YOU CAN’T BE FAMOUS, BE INFAMOUS

Haney has a target on his back as a vast number of fans are calling for his head. He was already under attack before the fight when he uncharacteristically pushed Hi-Tech at the weigh-in. Furthermore, he will continue to encounter disdain from boxing fans who believe Lomachenko should be the undisputed champion.

Despite Haney’s apology, some inside the boxing community still hold a grudge against him for the statement that was made years ago that he would “never lose to a white boy”.

Should he play the role of the villain, turning the fans’ anger into profit? It is what Hall of Fame Inductee Floyd Mayweather did when he switched from “Pretty Boy” Floyd to the “Money” Mayweather persona. Haney has the three things in place that sell to pull it off: a rival (Shakur Stevenson), drama, and controversy. So, why not embrace the role of villain and use it to his advantage?

Featured Article: Vasyl Lomachenko: “Linares And Lopez Are Better Than Haney”