Devin Haney’s dad, Bill, says Vasyl Lomachenko will find himself “overwhelmed” this Saturday night if all he’s looking for is the jab. Bill insists that Devin has much more than a jab in his toolbox that he’ll be bringing to the table in their main event fight on ESPN pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) isn’t saying that Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) only has a jab, but what he means is that’s his main weapon. Haney lacks power, and that’s been a constant his entire career. Watching Haney train on the mitts for this fight, he doesn’t appear to have improved his power, which is understandable.
If a fighter hasn’t shown power by the time they’re Haney’s age at 24, it doesn’t make sense for them to make great strides in one training camp unless they’re on something.
Haney has the tools to adjust
“Everything is a price. You have to pay a price for something. We know that Devin has the tools and the attributes to make the adjustments for anything that Loma brings to the table,” said Bill Haney to Fighthype about Vasyl Lomachenko needing to deal with Devin Haney’s skills.
“First and foremost for Loma is to deal with the jab. Devin has the best jab in boxing. We haven’t seen anyone neutralize his jab yet, but that’s not the only tool we have in the toolbox.
“For Lomachenko to say that the only tool he needs to concentrate on is the jab, he’s going to be overwhelmed, and he’s going to make great underestimation of what Devin brings.
“We know that Lomachenko does a lot of things good. We won’t say it’s only one thing, but on May 20th, Saturday night, the world will get a chance to see how great Devin is,” said Bill.
Lomachenko’s “dirty fighting” worries Haney
“Like I said, his accomplishments, his record of what he’s been doing takes precedent over what he’s saying right now,” said Bill. “I know that’s just fighter talk. I know he has a lot more respect for what Devin brings to the table, but if that’s what he does, then he’ll be overwhelmed by his underestimation for sure.
“Punching in the clinch is one thing, but punching on the break is different,” said Bill when told there’s a fine line between dirty fighting and someone trying to fight out of a clinch.
“If a ref calls break, you’re supposed to break, but to what degree do you break, and how far do you break? These are all things that maybe the ref will give instructions on our not.
“I know that Harvey Dock is a very experienced ref, who has been in a lot of world title fights, and I’m sure he’ll have it handled. I have all the faith in the world that the best man will be decided between Devin and Loma on May 20th in the ring and not outside.
“We look forward to May 20th for Devin to show more of his versatility. He continues to get better under the lights and we look forward to it. Like I said, the clinching and fighting is part of it but hitting on the break is not.
“We just have to see on May the 20th. I’m not concerned with any of his tactics. I know that Devin will make any adjustments when it comes time to make it. He looks amazing, doesn’t he?” said Bill when asked about Haney’s weight.
“Just being at home and being familiar with your surroundings, familiar with your diet, and less to stress about. Going over to Australia to do that to George [Kambosos Jr], it wasn’t an easy task to go over there not once but twice. Cut weight and rehydrate up, and do all those things.
“I think we’re having an easier time, but we can’t tell until Friday morning. It’s fun carrying around all those belts. It’s a hard decision to make,” said Bill when asked if this is Haney’s last fight at 135.
“Ultimately, Devin is the boss, and he’ll make that decision on May 21st or whatever. But for all intents and purposes, he looks good right now. He’s always been the boss.
“The only thing on my mind is dominating Lomachenko and watching the Brinks truck pull up after
