Tim Bradley says Vasily Lomachenko will need to find a way to avoid all the “tie-ups” from undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney on May 20th.
Haney has shown that his jab & tie-up style of fighting is difficult to deal with because he prevents his opponents from getting their shots off when they get inside his long reach.
Lomachenko is basically a super featherweight fighting a welterweight, and it’s going to be next to impossible for him to land his shots if Haney is tying him up all night like he did in his last two fights against George Kambosos Jr.
Haney’s size will be a problem
“May 20, Devin Haney and Vasily Lomachenko meet in Las Vegas. Devin Haney is the one and only undisputed lightweight champion in the world, and Vasily Lomachenko was considered not long ago the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” said Max Kellerman to ESPN.
“I think Devin’s size is a huge obstacle. He’s a 135-pounder going on 140. He’s long, he’s big, and that seems to make Vasily vulnerable,” said Mark Kriegel. “It’ll be an extraordinary story if Lomachenko can come back and beat him at his age.”
“I agree with that analysis. If Lomachenko thought that [Jorge] Linares was tough because of the length. Haney is a big lightweight,” said Kellerman.
“Don’t be surprised if Haney backs up Lomachenko as well as fights off his back foot,” said Tim Bradley. “I think he can win this fight going forwards as well as backwards.
“Lomachenko has to get inside. He has to stay inside, and he has to get away from all the tie-ups from Haney.”
“The shorter fighter doesn’t always have to get inside,” said Kellerman.
“No, this is Loma’s style. He’s a mid-range to inside. Loma’s not a boxer on his backfoot,” said Bradley.
Lomachenko must start “earlier”
“Devin has got to go and impose his size. He’s got to do the same thing Teofimo Lopez did and impose his size on Loma because Loma isn’t really a lightweight. He’s a junior lightweight. Everybody that knows boxing knows that,” said Roy Jones Jr to Fight Hub TV.
“Devin has to go out and use his size and hit him with something early to get the respect like Teeofimo did and keep Loma at bay.
“Loma on the other hand has to do the opposite of Teofimo Lopez. He’s got to forget about, ‘I might get caught.’ He’s got to forget about that and start the fight early if you want to have a chance because you wait, and wait and wait.
“I think for me, he [Lomachenko] started a little bit too late against Teofimo.
“If he starts a little bit earlier, he has a better chance, but an early start also endangers you of getting caught with a big shot by a bigger guy. So I understand why he didn’t go in and do it earlier, but to win the fight, you’re going to have to start earlier,” said Jones Jr about Lomachenko needing to start earlier.
