Las Vegas witnessed a controversial outcome Saturday night as Devin Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) was awarded a unanimous decision over Ukraine’s three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) in a fight many observers have called into question. The bout took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The decision has sparked outrage and claims of a “robbery” among a significant faction of boxing enthusiasts and pundits who believe that Lomachenko was the more deserving of the two. It’s a decision that has not only left a sour taste but also raised questions about the judging process in boxing.
The fight was a gripping spectacle from the outset, with Lomachenko employing his distinctive mixture of feints, agility, and defensive maneuvering to establish early control. He managed to find success on the inside, landing numerous combination punches. As the rounds progressed, Lomachenko seemed to be finding his rhythm, and his combinations became increasingly frequent.
Haney was successful on the outside, using his range to land jabs and hooks to Lomachenko’s body. However, the sheer consistency and volume of Lomachenko’s offensive seemed to outweigh Haney’s sporadic attacks in the eyes of many boxing fans.
Despite showing signs of being hurt by Lomachenko’s onslaught, Haney put up a commendable fight, returning fire in the final round and managing to mitigate Lomachenko’s aggression with his own offensive. Yet, the Las Vegas the audience believed that Lomachenko’s earlier dominance in the fight should have tilted the decision in his favor.
The judges, however, saw it differently. Haney made his second defense of the undisputed title with scores of 115-113 twice, and a downright outrageous score of 116-112 by Dave Moretti, leading to widespread outcry from those who believed that Lomachenko was unjustly deprived of a deserved victory.
Post-fight comments further stoked the fires of controversy. Lomachenko, addressing the decision, remained poised and defiant. “All the people saw what happened today,” he stated, expressing a clear disagreement with the verdict while keeping a dignified composure.
As the dust settles, the contentious decision leaves us with more questions than answers. Has the sport’s judging system failed Lomachenko? Was this indeed a “robbery”? And, most importantly, where does this leave the future of the lightweight division? As the boxing community grapples with these pressing questions, one thing remains certain: the echoes of this decision will reverberate through the annals of boxing history.
Anticipation is high for the main event as two of boxing’s preeminent fighters, Devin “The Dream” Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) and Ukraine’s three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs), square off for the undisputed lightweight championship.
Haney, fresh off two victories against George Kambosos Jr. in Australia last year, makes his U.S. return to defend his undisputed title. The 24-year-old aims to make a memorable defense of his four championship titles before a home crowd.
Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former three-division world champion, returns to the ring after an 11-month break spent serving in a territorial defense battalion for Ukraine. The 35-year-old is recognized as one of the world’s finest fighters.
The PPV event also features two high-stakes undercard bouts:
The junior lightweight co-feature pits former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) against Adam “BluNose” Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs) in a 10-round rematch from their 2019 encounter.
The 10-round PPV opener sees undefeated American lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (17-0, 14 KOs) challenging big-punching Namibian Jeremia Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs), who stopped former long-reigning junior lightweight world champion Miguel Berchelt in his last fight.
Before the PPV event, ESPN and ESPN+ will broadcast the vacant WBO junior bantamweight world title fight between Australia’s ex-world champion Andrew Moloney (25-2, 16 KOs) and Japan’s undefeated former WBO flyweight titleholder Junto Nakatani (24-0, 18 KOs). The broadcast also features undefeated middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (8-0, 5 KOs), grandson of Muhammad Ali, going toe-to-toe with Danny Rosenberger (13-9-4, 4 KOs) in an eight-round contest.
The undercard will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
Joe Tessitore will provide live ringside commentary, joined by analysts Andre Ward, a Hall of Famer and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist, and Timothy Bradley Jr., a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee. Also on location, Mark Kriegel, Bernardo Osuna, and Crystina Poncher will provide reporting, with Max Kellerman hosting a special live edition of Max on Boxing on Friday.
Ahead of the May 20 championship, ESPN will broadcast the original program, Blood, Sweat & Tears: Haney vs. Lomachenko. This two-part series offers 30-minute behind-the-scenes episodes, taking fans into both contenders’ training camps. The program, available in English and with Spanish subtitles, will be available for on-demand replay on the ESPN App, ESPN.com, and ESPN+.