Last month’s undisputed lightweight clash between Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko was a controversial one in the eyes of some boxing fans and pundits.
Haney retained his four world titles via unanimous decision in Las Vegas that night, however many observers felt Lomachenko was hard done by not to get the decision.
In the wake of the result, Lomachenko’s management sent an open letter to each sanctioning body, including the WBC, to request that their man be made number one challenger in order to force a rematch
When asked for his thoughts on the matter by Talksport, WBC president Mauricio Suleman stated that, though the fight was close and a rematch would be well received, the result was not a controversial one.
“Every time there’s a big fight and it’s close, there’s going to be controversy. Lomachenko had the hearts of the people and he’s a fan favourite, and it was a very, very close fight. It could have gone either way, or been a draw.
There’s no controversy, there’s no robbery or outrage. I am convinced that it was a sensational fight and I’m very proud of both fighters. Everyone would love to see a rematch.”
Despite the close nature of the bout, it seems unlikely that ‘The Dream’ will give the 35 year old Lomachenko a second crack at his WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF straps.
Having made no secret of the fact the cut down to 135lbs is a tough one for him, it remains unclear whether or not Haney will even remain at the weight and defend his titles or vacate and move up to super lightweight.
He has been linked to a fight with WBC 140lbs champion Regis Prograis, and is expected to attend his title defence against Danielito Zorilla in New Orleans later this month.