Via Adam Baskin: Tim Bradley says Devin Haney will have a lot of problems tonight if Vasyl Lomachenko can get inside or mid-range.
It won’t be easy for Lomachenko to work inside as Haney will cling and lean on him. That style was ugly and deceiving at the border, but Haney ignored it.
Lomachenko will fight Haney for his undisputed lightweight championship tonight on ESPN PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The event begins at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) will try to maintain long-range teamfights at all costs so he can use his 6-inch reach advantage to take out Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) with stabs and cuts off his right hand.
Bradley said Haney would speak to referee Harvey Dock in the dressing room before the game to warn him about Lomachenko hitting at half-time.
The goal behind that move was that Haney wanted the referee to be on his side to help him win.
For example, when there is a clinch, Dock will step in and push Lomachenko outside so he can’t quickly reach Haney. That would allow Haney to keep Lomachenko out.
Haney won’t lose weight
“We know Loma is super stable, but we have a young gun that is also super stable,” said Tim Bradley. fight TV center about Devin Haney. “I thought he might have put on weight and had a tough check-in when he was in Australia for Kambosos that he might have a late blur.
“The fact that he was young, he recovered quickly, was rehydrated and didn’t falter during that fight. He actually got stronger as that fight continued.
“The second time, it was the same thing. Stronger and stronger. He fought a different game plan and also brought it to Kambosos,” Bradley said of Haney. “So he showed that he was not only getting better physically, but mentally as well.
“He has strong emotions in this boxing field, and he is ready. He’s ready for the throne, man. He wanted to be a man at the age of 135. It was all about gaining an edge,” Bradley said.
Devin wants to get refs on his side
“It’s all about letting him know that, ‘Hey, I know what you’re going to do,'” Bradley. “I know what you’re going to do. It won’t work for me,’ and he wants to get the referee on his side.
“He wants to take [referee] snow storm [Dock] towards him. Just watch and pay attention to the referee in the dressing room tomorrow night. Just pay attention.
“They will talk about it. ‘Hey man, he likes to hit on the break. Be sure,” and then the umpire would be like when they got close, he would part with them and say, “Back, back.” That would allow Haney to step back from a distance.
“If Dock says, ‘Break, break,’ and backs off and doesn’t get in the middle, that’s Lomachenko’s chance to strike. But if the Dock in there actually pulls them apart and pushes them back, who has the edge now? Haney has the advantage. Now he’s back outside.
“Devin came with half a gallon of water, and it was almost gone with the rocks. He is drinking water. That’s what you have to do. People did not drink water during the week of the battle. You should drink water because the more water you drink, the more water you will produce. Drinking water really helps you lose weight.
“Anyway, he looks very strong. He’s hydrated. You can limit your food for a week and you’ll be fine. You can limit your food for 21 days and you’ll be fine. He’s going to be a big boy tomorrow,” Bradley said of Haney.
“That is the skill set of both fighters. Haney is a great fighter. He has a lot more skills, abilities, and stature than these guys. I just think someone like Shakur defends better. He knows how to control every road in that round. Not just from the outside to the mid-range.
“He can push you down, in your face, and he can torture you. I think he’ll have the edge over Haney on the inside. Then you have a guy like Tank. If you make a mistake against the Tank, it’s an end. So a guy like Shakur, he limits his mistakes and makes those guys pay for their mistakes.
“I think those two with strength and IQ Tank have, and IQ Shakur has, I think they will run Haney for money and maybe beat him if they fight. We still have to watch the fight.
“I’m not saying Haney can’t win the match, but for me, with my knowledge of the game, I think those two could be it, even though Haney is the champion and he hold all the belts.
“I think it’s fair game considering the skills, looking at the facts of things and picking who you think is the best in the department, but we don’t know until they’re all Get in the ring and fight,” Bradley said.
Lomachenko will be an inside problem
“If he gets close, he’s going to cause him a lot of problems,” Bradley said when asked what problems Lomachenko could cause Haney. “
If he gets past that poke, he’ll cause him a lot of problems in the mid-range. He’s not joking. He is a straight shooter. Devin’s problem is that when he’s in front of you, he likes to take half a step back or take a full step back and let the opponent down.
“Now, if Loma is used to that and he sees a pattern from Haney, he will exploit it. He will find a way to exploit that. He will find a way to sneak in. He can sneak in after his stab. When Devin throws the stab, he is able to sneak inside and commit his offence.
“The thing is, it’s going to be very difficult. We still have to see it. I will tell you. Name him [Lomachenko] gets mid-range and Devin starts to get tied up, and the referee comes in to clear them, you’ll see Loma attack fast again, he can make it difficult for Haney,” Tim said.
Devin wants to keep Loma at long range
Bradley said: “Look, Haney is a different fighter than I saw a year ago when he fought JoJo Diaz. “If Haney had fixed those holes because when he was fighting JoJo Diaz, he was caught with something.
“The guy was taken straight with his left hand, and he was hit in the body. JoJo closed the gap in two innings. Now if Lom can close the gap in two innings, Haney will be in trouble.
You just have to shoot with him. Yes, he can take that thing, and with his reach, and with the probe [straight-arm]’ Bradley said when asked if Haney could eliminate Lomachenko’s attacking angles. “He can keep him at a distance. That’s the five-and-a-half inch reach advantage [for Haney]Bradley said.
