Devin Haney vs Vasiliy Lomachenko: Champ who dethroned Aussie’s bid to ‘turn nonbelievers into believers’ in ultimate title test

 Devin Haney is out to “turn all of the nonbelievers into believers” as he looks to retain his status of the undisputed lightweight champion when he takes on Vasiliy Lomachenko.

It is a fight Haney (29-0, 15KO) has longed for, with a bout against Lomachenko (17-2, 11KO) the one he believes will cement his status as a modern superstar.

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If Haney had it his way, he would have fought Lomachenko several years ago.

But now, ‘The Dream’ has warned his rival he will deliver a brutal beat down worse than he could have ever dished out when a fight between the two was first floated.

“It’s a dream come true,” Haney told reporters in Hollywood, California.

“It’s a blessing that it finally happened. This is a fight that I have always wanted. I’ve been screaming for this fight for a long time.

“I told [Lomachenko] to fight me then because it will only get worse, and it will be a worse [beating] than it was four years ago, that’s for sure.”

Beatings aside, the fight is one Haney believes will legitimise him as a champion and earn the credit he feels he deserves.

“Loma is definitely no slouch,” Haney said.

“He’s not a guy you can go in there and do anything with. It takes strategy and a lot of skills. If the opportunity presents itself, of course.

“He has skills. He has a lot of IQ and great amateur pedigree. I’m going to turn all of the nonbelievers into believers.”

Haney is on the money — Lomachenko is indeed “no slouch.”

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A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Lomachenko is also a three-division world champion having won titles at featherweight and junior lightweight in the past.

The 35-year-old Ukrainian was also thrust into a featherweight world title fight in just his second professional bout, losing a split decision contest against Orlando Salido despite the latter coming into the fight overweight.

This isn’t the first time Lomachenko has been presented with the chance to fight for the undisputed lightweight crown, either.

Last year, he was offered the chance to fight Australian star George Kambosos for the titles.

However, Lomachenko was forced to turn it down for the most valiant of reasons and one which even left Kambosos offering his heartfelt respect.

“Top Rank made this path for Lomachenko to fight Kambosos and go to Australia, we were very excited,” Egis Klimias, Lomachenko’s manager, said at the official fight press conference.

“Then we made a phone call to Vasiliy and said, ‘Look, we have an opportunity to go and fight with Kambosos for all of the titles you were dreaming.’

“The answer was, ‘Egis, no I’m not going. It’s not what is on my mind right now. I can’t think about my career, I can’t think about boxing. All I can see right now is our country is being bombed, people are getting killed. Everybody here in this country needs me, I can’t go abroad, so I’m sorry.’

“I said, ‘You know this could be your last opportunity?’ He says, ‘If that’s what is meant to be, that’s what is meant to be. My decision is to stay here.’”

With Lomachenko fighting for his country, Haney was given the opportunity to travel to Australia and take on Kambosos for the belts.

As history shows, the American came in and beat ‘Ferocious’ not once, but twice in the space of five months to cement his legacy in the sport and enter the pound-for-pound rankings, an accolade Haney craved.

Despite his lengthy list of achievements, it still seems as if Haney isn’t viewed as a popular favourite among boxing fans.

One only has to look at the hype generated around Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis’ fight against Ryan Garcia to see how even a non-title fight can captivate the sporting world’s attention.

A victory against Lomachenko would go a long way to elevating himself to such status.

But so too would becoming a world champion in two divisions, a prospect which seems inevitable as Haney’s career progresses.

It is no secret the 23-year-old faces a major battle to make the lightweight limit, with photos of a gaunt-looking Haney going viral on social media after the weigh-ins for the second Kambosos bout.

Victory against Lomachenko could very well be Haney’s last in the lightweight division before moving up to the super lightweights.