title fight

Devin Haney Walks Out With Skilla Baby And Tay B Before Title Fight

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Devin Haney was joined by Skilla Baby and Tay B during his ring entrance this weekend. The two rappers flanked the superstar boxer ahead of his fight against Regis Prograis. Haney was aiming to become boxing’s latest multi-division champion and did so in dominant fashion. While the fight went the distance, Haney scored a unanimous decision, earning a 120-107 score from all three judges. Haney improved to 31-0 in a fight in which Prograis simply had no answers for ESPN‘s No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter.

“I did everything that I said I was gonna do. Went in there and I handicapped him. We knew that he was gonna come in with a big left hand. We capitalized on his habit of leaning in. I hit him with big shots. I knew that I was hurting him,” Haney said after the fight. Prograis landed just 36 punches in the entire fight, a conversion rate of just 10%. By comparison, Haney hit his opponent 129 times.

Read More: LeBron James Reacts To Skilla Baby Explaining His Hatred For Him

Where Does Devin Haney Go From Here?

Haney is now a two-division champion, although he did recently vacate his undisputed belt last month. However, Haney now needs to capitalize on his success and start booking the biggest fights he can find. Gervonta Davis, who fights at both 135 and 140, feels like the obvious option. However, Haney is skeptical that it’s a fight that could come together. “Tank don’t want to fight because if he really wanted to fight, then he would be trying to build up the fight instead of trying to knock it down. If he really wanted to fight me, he would be making it that. It’s a big fight and it’s the best fight for boxing. But he only talked down on the fight. Like I said many times, they say everything but ‘let’s fight,’” Haney told ESPN.

The other superstar option if Haney remains at 140 is Ryan Garcia. “For years and years we chased a Ryan Garcia fight. No one wanted to fight Devin Haney and everyone used the excuse: ‘It’s not a big enough fight. No one knows who he is.’ When you’re too good, the only way you can entice people is to get paid to get beat. He sold out in a city that hasn’t had boxing in two decades,” Haney’s promoter said of a potential Garcia fight.

Read More: Shakur Stevenson’s Lacklustre Title Fight Blasted By Devin Haney And Ryan Garcia

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Devin Haney Retains Undisputed Title In Controversial Bout

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Devin Haney is one of the greatest active boxers. The WBC lightweight champion since 2019 and undisputed champion since 2022, Haney is 30-0 in his illustrious career. One of the defining factors of his style is his stamina. Going into his May 20 bout, his last six bouts had gone a full 12 rounds. But his latest fight would likely be his most challenging.

Vasiliy Lomachenko is a living legend. The Ukrainian fighter is a two-time gold medallist and former WBA and WBO title holder. 17-2 in his career, the only thing he didn’t have on his resume was an undisputed title. That’s what led to the blockbuster fight with Haney in front of a packed crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Haney Wins But Fans Are Unconvinced

Devin Haney celebrates his win over Vasiliy Lomachenko.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: Devin Haney celebrates after defeating Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine during their Undisputed lightweight championship fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Haney dominated the first half of the fight, working the body and jabbing the Ukrainian hard. However, Lomachenko rallied in the last six rounds as he showcased his trademark multi-angled flurries. Despite Lomachenko’s work, Haney defended his title and scored his seventh consecutive 12-round, unanimous decision victory. But fans, and Lomachenko, remain unconvinced. “I don’t want to talk about the decision. All [the] people see what happened here today,” said Lomachenko, who cried in his locker room after the fight. Additionally, Lomachenko’s manager, Egas Klmias, called the decision a “robbery”.

The fight was also proceeded by a shove at the weigh-in that will cost Haney $4 million, a source told ESPN. Additionally, fans were inclined to agree. “Really feel for Loma. Rejected the chance at undisputed vs Kambosos, then for me gets this win vs Haney taken away from him. How one judge gave Haney round 10 i’ll never know…” one wrote on Twitter. “Biggest Robbery of the year LOMA won that fight” added another. Klmias also indicated that he was preparing to file an appeal for the fight. The sentiment was also echoed by boxer Shakur Stevenson. “Lomachenko should be undisputed champion. He won that fight,” said Stevenson, ESPN’s No. 9 pound-for-pound boxer. “He landed the cleaner punches and pushed the pace.” Do you think the judges made the wrong decision? Let us know in the comments.

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