Via Allan Fox: The WBC chose to keep Vasyl Lomachenko at the lightweight 1st place despite losing to undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney last Saturday night.
WBC’s decision to keep Lomachenko at number 1 will work well for the boxing world given the controversy surrounding Haney’s win last weekend. A lot of fans thought Loma had won and they felt he should be the one to target Gervonta Davis next.
This means that if Haney vacated his 135 lb WBC belt, Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) and #2 Shakur Stevenson would contest the vacant belt.
If Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) remains in lightweight, the World Boxing Council could order him to face mandatory Shakur next if he doesn’t rematch Lomachenko or face the champion WBA ‘regular’ opponent Gervonta Davis.
Haney hasn’t said what he wants to do next, but it is assumed that if given the chance to fight Gervonta, he will go in that direction. He’s too shaky to move to 140 and fight fighters like Subriel Matias, Regis Prograis or Josh Taylor.
The only belt Haney was able to win at 140 was against WBA champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero because he was a flawed guy who shouldn’t have been a world champion.
Fans want Tank to fight Haney next
Sergio Mora said: “I think Loma won the match 7-5. JABS at DAZN.
Chris Mannix said: “I think Loma did a great job in this match and if he won I wouldn’t have had a problem with that decision, but Haney won and I still have no problem with that decision. .
“I scored in the match 8-4 in favor of Lomachenko. I had it even through eight, then gave Lomachenko each inning for the last four. I believe Lomachenko won, but when those scores are read, I have no problem with it.
“A lot of the first rounds are very thin. I think, two of the last four finalists are also very close. The judges grade it in a particular way when it’s close, I have no problem with that.
“I really had a problem with Dave Moretti, who scored in the 116-112 game in Haney’s favor, giving Haney the tenth inning. If you want to look at this on a micro level, that tenth round isn’t a Haney round. That was the round where he was hurt by Lomachenko.
“I don’t know how a judge can look at that and still score that way, but that’s irrelevant. Even if Dave Moretti had scored in that round for Lomachenko, Lomachenko would still have lost 115-113 on the remaining two scorecards.
“So I don’t consider it a major robbery. So moving forward, we invited Shakur Stevenson to jump into the ring and challenge Haney.
“There are calls for a Haney vs Gervonta Davis match at lightweight right now. Should Haney stay at 135 pounds or increase to 140?
Only one fight can be sold to Haney at 135
“First of all, Ryan Garcia is a 140-pound athlete, so he’s not at 135, ready for Devin Haney, and he’s not going to be Devin Haney’s comeback opponent,” Mannix said. speak.
“He doesn’t do weightlifting anymore. Ryan Garcia is an official 140-pound athlete, and that’s one of the reasons why I think Devin Haney should go up to 140 pounds.
“I agree that if a match against Tank Davis can be made, Devin Haney should be at 135. Tank Davis-Devin Haney is the easiest match you can make at 135 because you have all both the fame of Tank Davis and all the titles and awards of Devin Haney.
“This is a huge clash of styles. Boxers versus punchers. Someone who hits you with a stab versus someone who hits you with an explosive counterattack. It’s a great fight, and it’s going to be massive. But if the Davis fight isn’t there, move on.
“The Shakur Stevenson fight is going to happen at some point. Shakur will rise to rank 140. He may even progress to rank 147. Eventually, that fight will happen, but Shakur Stevenson, even though he is one of the best weightlifters in boxing he is not yet one of the more marketable fighters in boxing.
“Frank Martin, you [Haney] don’t stay at 135 for Frank Martin. I think for Devin Haney, who’s been a lifelong lightweight athlete since he was a kid, he’s a lightweight. I think now is the time to gain weight.
“He’s accomplished everything he can at 135, and at 140, the terrain is ripe for Devin Haney to win some belts and potentially become an undisputed champion. at 140,” Mannix said.
Devin has many options at 140
“Thanks to the people up there. You have Regis Prograis, who will crave a battle with Devin Haney,” Mannix said. “You have Rolly Romero, who just won the 140-pound title. You have Subriel Matias, who is currently out there without a promoter, eager for a big battle.
“These are very exciting games for Devin Haney, and if he gets a few wins and Ryan Garcia gets a few wins too, then suddenly in 2024 we’re talking about Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. Ryan Garcia in a super fight.
“I agree with you. The biggest fights are 135, but the only one that can be sold is Gervonta Davis. Also, if I were Devin Haney, I’d go north; I’m heading for 140,” Mannix said.
“He looked exhausted from that battle. Look on social media for pictures of the actual weighing session. It was not a ceremonial brainstorming match that he shoved Lomachenko down. You can see his ribs through his body.
“He had to squeeze through to get to that weight. [135]and you know anyone if you spend your whole career in one weight class, even though he’s young, 24 years old, that’s too much to ask for a boxer of that size.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable to stay at 135 just to fight Shakur Stevenson given the fact that in a year, two years when both of these guys are in their 20s, that fight will be at that level. 140. It may be available at 147.
“It doesn’t make much business sense to him [Haney] leave it at 135 for that particular fight. Go ahead, win a lot of titles and then aim for Shakur Stevenson for the next few years,” Mannix said.
“There is a lesson for Devin Haney. Don’t lose your title on the scale. Go ahead and win some more.
