Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney retained his titles by winning a controversial unanimous decision over former three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Garden.
Lomachenko dominated the latter rounds and outpunched Haney, 124-110.
But much to the dismay of the 14,436 fans in attendance, all three judges had Haney winning. Tim Cheatham and David Sutherland scored the fight 115-113, while Dave Moretti had it 116-112
READ MORE: ‘Silly’: Maroons lament Kaufusi act as ban looms
READ MORE: ‘Secret catalyst’ inspired Tigers hammering
READ MORE: ‘Unusual’ Interchange error cost Roos dearly
“Lomachenko is a future Hall of Famer,” Haney said post-fight.
“It was a blessing. He was my toughest opponent. He was very crafty. He turns it up in the championship rounds. [This fight] put me in the history books forever.”
Haney improved to 30-0. Lomachenko, 35, dropped to 17-3.
Now Haney has a decision to make, as he will be a free agent when he wakes up tomorrow morning in the US, as his three-fight deal with Top Rank and Lou DiBella is now expired.
Haney loses it at weigh-in
The 24-year-old has plenty of options, as he could stay at 135 pounds for one final fight, where a highly anticipated match awaits against fellow pound-for-pound contender Shakur Stevenson, who was in attendance at the fight.
Stevenson disagreed with the result.
“Lomachenko should be undisputed champion — he won that fight,” he said.
But if Haney is ready to step in the ring with another undefeated fighter, Stevenson said: “Let’s make it happen. I can’t wait.”
Lomachenko also expressed his devastation and shock around the decision.
“I was sure I won this fight… I controlled every round,” he said.
“For me, it’s a big, big question – what happened in the result today?”
Lomachenko’s manager Egis Klimas added to the pile-on, stating they plan to appeal the decision.
“The biggest robbery in the daylight. Haney’s team got Christmas in the summer,” he said.
“We’re going to appeal this decision. Those judges, they do not understand how the boxers are working hard. I guarantee we’re not going to let that go. We want to show there has to be justice.”
As Haney mulls over his future, the champion could also move to junior welterweight, where he would pursue a second-division title while positioning himself to meet the winner of the June 11 fight between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez Jr.
The wild-card bout out there would be against Gervonta Davis, who looked impressive in his win over Ryan Garcia.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
Here is who NRL legend Paul Gallen has fought during his colourful boxing career
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
