By: Sean Crose
“I used to think it was a belt situation,” undisputed lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney says in an interview posted by FightHub, “but now that I’ve got everything they still don’t want to fight me.” Haney is referring to his peers in and around the lightweight division, where names like Lomachenko, Davis, and Garcia reside. One person who certain DOES want to face Haney is his October 16th opponent, former lightweight titlist George Kambosos, the man Haney defeated to become undisputed champion last June. With that in mind, most expect Haney to dominate Kambosos in their rematch much like he did in the first battle late last spring.
“It just proves how much of a threat I really am,” he says of the fact he’s yet to face one of the division’s bigger names – at least not yet. “They care about keeping an 0,” he says of these possible opponents. “They don’t want to lose.” While it’s quite a charge (one this writer isn’t willing to make), that Haney is being outright ducked by those well regarded fighters around him, it’s obvious that the 23 year old is a very tough night out for anyone he might face.
Still, it’s Haney who holds all the major belts at lightweight. Anyone who wants to rule the currently red hot division is going to have to get past the Las Vegas resident first. “In due time these fights will happen,” the fighter known as “The Dream” says to FightHub. “When they do happen, I’ll be ready.” The truth is one of the major battles Haney wants may come sooner than some might think. Bob Arum, who promotes both Haney and Lomachenko, reportedly wants the the two men to square off once Haney presumably gets past Kambosos and Lomachenko presumably gets past Jamaine Ortiz when the two men do battle on October 29th.
Should the hoped for Haney-Lomachenko fight come to fruition, there’s no doubt Haney will deal with the pressure of a high end bout the same way he’s dealt with having to face Kambosos twice in the man’s native Australia…with unflappable resolve. It’s what the best fighters do in order to position themselves head and shoulders above the rest – they perform well under pressure. “I’m just going to keep beating whoever they put in front of me,” Haney says matter of factly. Anyone eager to prove Haney wrong will have to do so in the ring.