Devin Haney is ready for Linares but would prefer Lomachenko
For the time being, WBC World Lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (25-0, 15 KO’s) thinks he knows his next opponent. If everything continues to run its course, Haney will take on Jorge “Golden Boy” Linares (47-5, 29 KO’s). Given his choice however, The Dream would rather schedule a dance with former world champion Vasiliy “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KO’s).
The Californian Kid has chased a showdown with Loma for quite some time. At one point, Haney was actually the mandatory for Hi-Tech’s belt. However, Team Lomachenko petitioned and was granted WBC Franchise champion status. As a Franchise champion, Hi-Tech would not have to burden himself with mandatories. Even worse, until very recently, Loma has shown remarkably little interest in a staging a prizefight with Haney. Whether foolhardy or not, Haney remains faithful that he could snag a Loma fight next.
“Jorge Linares is the frontrunner but . . . hopefully we can make a fight with Loma. If we can’t, then it’s going to be Linares.”
BACK AT FULL SPEED
Regardless of who he faces next, Haney is confident that he will emerge victorious in grand fashion. While his opponent is still not written in stone, The Dream believes whoever it is will underestimate him. In Haney’s last bout with Yuriorkis Gamboa, he did not score the knockout that many thought that he should have. Due to this, the WBC champion was widely criticized for not stopping the aging fighter. As a result, Haney is certain that his next opponent will feel that he is losing a step.
While The Dream is privy to the opinion of the masses, he knows that most are unaware of his physical handicaps. In a recent interview with Fight Hype, Haney revealed that he had broken his hand very shortly before the Gamboa bout.
“I feel great. A lot of people don’t know in that fight I had broke my hand like two or three months before the fight. So I wasn’t 100% going into the fight, but I felt like Gamboa was a little older, like he wasn’t what he used to be. I felt like I could go in there and still get the stoppage but sometimes you don’t always get the knockout. You don’t always go in there and knock the guy out, especially with one hand. But now I feel great, I feel strong, I’m healthy and I am looking forward to the next one!”
“It was the same arm, same hand that the shoulder was on. So going into it, my right arm just was not as strong, But I still landed some good shots and I still felt like I put on a great masterclass boxing lesson. But at the end of the day, every fight you’re not going to be 100% and I understood that I know that. I done went into fights not 100% before and still went in there and got the job done…it’s rare that a fighter goes into a fight 100%.”
CLOSER TO THE GOAL
Yet again, now that he is healed and fully prepared, Haney still has his heart set on a Loma fight. Therefore, it looks like very good timing that Loma is beginning to show signs that he wants to tangle with Haney.
“I am happy that he finally acknowledged me and he finally is interested in making a fight. It sucks that it comes now after he took a loss. I would have rather it been when he was on top. But at the end the day, a fight with me and Loma would still be huge and it’s still a fight that I welcome.”
“…we are not ruling nobody out. Whether it’s Javier Fortuna, whether it’s Loma, whether it’s Ryan [Garcia], whether it’s Teo [Teofimo Lopez], whether it’s Tank [Gervonta Davis], it doesn’t matter. I want to fight the best fighters. And I want to keep climbing, keep eating them one at a time.”
By: Bakari Simpson
