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By Cassandra Cousineau, LVSportsBiz.com Boxing Writer
Controversy sells when promoting a fight.
When the bell sounds, somebody’s getting punched in the face anyway.
So, why all the perfunctory pleasantries?
For starters, professional decorum keeps the local regulatory commission out of a boxer’s bank account. After Las Vegas-based Devin Haney shoved Vasyl Lomachenko at their ceremonial weigh-in Friday afternoon, the Nevada State Athletic Commission filed a complaint.
The shove is expected to result in some sort of fine for the 24-year-old Haney, who is defending his undisputed lightweight titles against former multiple-weight champion Lomachenko at MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night.
The NSAC also requested Lomachenko undergo a second physical exam before the fight “out of an abundance of caution,” per ESPN. Whatever the commission comes up with, the fine will be insignificant for Haney, who is set to earn $4 million guaranteed for the fight, which is $1 million more than Lomachenko’s payday.
Sometimes, you have to sell the fight. This shouldn’t be one of those occasions as this particular match up, on paper at least, should sell itself.
In February 2022, Loma was in Greece preparing for a fight when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. He told reporters he did not participate in “military operations, but [other] certain tasks,” including enforcement of a curfew.
“For example, a suburban area in the outskirts of the city that we needed to go out and do some reconnaissance, make sure that no alien people, no one unknown is basically located in that area,”
His match with then undisputed lightweight champion George Kambosos in June of that year was subsequently canceled.
The two-time Olympic champion, who turned pro in 2013, won a world title at featherweight in his third fight and added a claim at 130 pounds before climbing again to become a full-time lightweight in 2018. The Ukrainian was on a three-fight win streak since his upset loss to Teofimo Lopez Jr. in 2020.
A fight with Kambosos would’ve been a much easier route to all of the belts instead of facing the younger, bigger, more athletically gifted Haney. Loma chose to return to Ukraine as a soldier. The confluence of professional and personal commitment made him the odd man out when Kambosos replaced him with Haney, who subsequently traveled to Australia, and returned to Las Vegas as an undisputed champion. Haney became the first ever undisputed lightweight champion in the four-belt era in the unifying first fight with Kambosos last summer, taking all three of the Australian’s belts to add to his WBC title.
Haney’s rise is in direct contrast to Loma’s 396-1 record as an amateur.
The orthodox fighter is a businessman and an elite athlete. A youthful, eight-year-pro, Haney skipped the U.S. Olympic amateur route in favor of starting his career as a teenager in Tijuana, Mexico, where 10 of his first 15 fights took place. He also became the CEO of his own promotion company at the age of 18.
Whether manufactured to move Pay-Per-View sales or not, Haney (29-0, 15 knockouts) claims the acrimony stems from being snubbed while calling for a fight with Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) for four years. “He definitely should’ve fought me four years ago when I was calling for it,” he said at this week’s press conference. I was younger and less experienced then.”
Loma responded, translated by his longtime manager Egis Klimas. “Four years ago he was a top boxer, a good boxer, but he was without the belts. My goal was four belts. I had three belts and at that moment I needed just one more. It was the IBF and Lopez held this belt. That’s why we organized the fight with [Teofimo] Lopez. We can’t organize with this guy [Haney] just because he wants this fight. He wasn’t on my plan, because my dream was four belts. If I’d had four belts and he’d been a contender, no problem. No problem.”
Why is Haney on Loma’s radar now? Born in San Francisco, and raised in Oakland until he was 14 years old, Haney not only went to Australia to become an undisputed champion, he granted Kambosos an immediate rematch in the same city as his first title defense. They each have something the other needs. A win over Loma gives Haney professional cache if he defeats one of the most decorated boxers ever in the sport. A win over Haney could be the last chapter in Loma’s storied boxing career.
Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said, “Devin and Loma are sensational boxers, and I’m sure it will be a memorable fight.”
Loma has acknowledged the war in Ukraine has indelibly changed him as a man. “Of course it changed me. When I came back to Ukraine [on] the second day of war, your mind changes because you see a different life … It’s very bad. It’s very bad for the world,” the 35-year-old told his promoter Top Rank Boxing.
On Saturday, we’ll find out if he’s the same boxer.
The ESPN+ Prelims begin at 3 p.m. PT, continue both there and on ESPN at 5 p.m. PT, then transition to ESPN+ PPV at 7 p.m. PT.