Vasiliy Lomachenko’s spirited performance against a fresher, bigger Devin Haney was not rewarded on the judges’ scorecards in Las Vegas.
Haney retained his undisputed lightweight title over twelve in a contest that was as elite as expected, showcasing the very best in boxing in terms of movement and skill.
The two technicians were well-matched throughout, with the action only really swinging one way or another on a few occasions – Haney with some high-level body work and Lomachenko with his sharp shots to the head that had the champion hurt in the latter stages.
There’s no doubt it was a hard contest to score, and there will be no claims of robbery in terms of the man who had his hand raised, but most analysts and fans had it much closer that the three judges, who ultimately gave it clearly to Haney with 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112.
A general consensus online that Loma had nicked it formed in the aftermath, and the man himself felt the same way. He told the broadcast that ‘the people saw what happened.’
“I don’t want to talk about this. All the people saw what happened today. … Look, I think I showed I’m in good shape. See you next time. I can’t talk about this right now. It’s just, it’s not a comfortable moment for me.”
"𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗣𝟰𝗣!"☝️
Vasiliy Lomachenko refused to comment on the result of the fight but admitted he was not hugely impressed by Devin Haney🤷 pic.twitter.com/f9x209yfbZ
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) May 21, 2023
Later, the Ukrainian would be seen backstage in tears – a hard picture for boxing fans to take after what he’s given to the sport as both an amateur and professional.
An emotional Lomachenko reflects backstage. pic.twitter.com/DQGvsrOxBo
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 21, 2023
At the post-fight presser, a calmer Lomachenko reflected maturely on his performance, saying that perhaps he wasn’t convincing enough to take the belts from champion. His performance shows he has what it takes to come again, but, at 35 and just having fallen short of a career-long goal, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Haney moves ahead, likely setting up a fight with Shakur Stevenson, who entered the ring after the final bell and announced he believed the champion had lost.