By: Sean Crose
The undisputed light-weight championship was at stake Saturday night time as defending champion Devin Haney took on former world titlist Vasyl Lomachenko in a scheduled 12 spherical ESPN pay per view most important occasion on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Each man had a lot at stake. The youthful Haney, 29-0, wished to say himself as among the finest fighters within the up to date struggle recreation whereas the older Lomachenko, 17-2, regarded to reestablish himself as a as soon as in a lifetime expertise.
Loma had a robust first – however it was shut. Both males threw and landed some efficient photographs. The second, like the primary, was excessive depth and quick paced. Haney landed nicely early, Loma landed nicely later. The third was just like the earlier two rounds. Loma, nevertheless, was having higher moments – not that Haney wasn’t having moments of his personal. The two males went down once they tied up on the finish of the fourth – although Haney had the higher flashes within the chapter.
Haney’s physique work instructed the story of the fifth. Loma did nicely within the sixth, however Haney did higher. The man’s physique work was paying off. The intense seventh noticed each fighters buying and selling punches. Loma’s nevertheless, might have been a bit extra crisp. It was a VERY shut – and entertaining – struggle. Things remained shut within the eighth. Each man was having terrific moments, Loma with head photographs, defending champion Haney with spectacular physique photographs.
By the ninth, the conditioning of the 2 fighters was a marvel. They wouldn’t decelerate, these two. Haney, nevertheless, carried out higher within the spherical. Loma damage his man within the tenth. Haney held intelligently, however Loma dominated for the primary time within the struggle. The eleventh spherical was simple to explain: Haney merely received crushed up by the veteran Loma. Haney, nevertheless, was capable of rally and pull off the twelfth. It was fairly a struggle.
The judges dominated thus:
116-112, 115-113, 115-113, all for Haney.
“I’ve got to take my hat off to Loma,” Haney mentioned afterward. “He’s my toughest opponent.”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” mentioned Lomachenko. “All people saw what happened today.”
