Devin Haney vs. Vasyl Lomachenko Predictions – Lightweight Title Fight

Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) vs. Vasyl Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs)

When: Saturday, May 20, 2023

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: ESPN+

Weight Class: Undisputed Lightweight Title

Betting Odds: Devin Haney (-285), Vasyl Lomachenko (+193)—Odds by MyBookie

Fight Analysis:

Devin Haney takes on Vasyl Lomachenko in a massively-important fight for the World Lightweight Title. It’s a fight upon which legacies are built. At just 24, Haney has jetted to the front of a talent-rich division, annexing all the belts. After two wins over George Kambosos, who beat the man who beat Lomachenko for the belts, Haney is ready to turn his attention to a still-packed division of star fighters. One of them is the 35-year old Lomachenko, 11 years Haney’s senior, who looks to get back to the top. But it won’t be easy pickings with the unbeaten champion Haney standing in his way. Let’s get into it!

It’s important to attempt to wrap one’s head around where Lomachenko stands in 2023. With three wins since losing to Teofimo Lopez in late 2020, he has managed to steady the ship, while also failing to really convince anyone that he’s a future part of the big picture at 135 pounds. Some of the information is damning. He’s not a young man, only exacerbated by a massive amateur career where he won two Olympic gold medals. With 400 amateur fights and a pro career that was fast-tracked right from the beginning, mileage starts to be a real concern. Having first won titles at featherweight, he is also going to be smaller than some top 135-pounders, particularly against the spidery and long-limbed Haney.

Still, one can make a pretty compelling case that some have jumped the gun in relegating Lomachenko to the scrap heap. It’s largely being based on a single defeat, which was a close decision loss to Lopez in a fight where the decorated Ukrainian may have been compromised physically. When one takes the prodigious skill Lomachenko showed leading up to that, you could justify giving him a pass. Sure, he’s not in his prime. His best fighting is likely in the rearview. He’s the smaller man taking on an elite fighter who can operate at range against a man he has dominated in height and reach. But there’s something to be said about a fighter apable of hitting high notes like Lomachenko.

Despite some damning details that don’t paint Lomachenko’s chances in the greatest of lights, he knows at 35 this is his last chance to make a really big splash in the sport. He’s not the kind of guy people will be eager to fight and it could be a long road back for a fighter with this much mileage on his legs. So this is really it for Lomachenko. And when a fighter of his skills has his back against the wall like this, you can’t really overlook him.

Also a potential source of comfort for Lomachenko backers is that Haney is newer to this level of competition. The two wins over Kambosos stand out, but otherwise his body of work is thin, at least when compared to the quality on Lomachenko’s ledger. It’s also a bit curious that Lomachenko was the champion and one close loss when he wasn’t at his best spurned all this success for Teofimo Lopez, then Kambosos who beat him, and onto Haney who is now the champion. It’s as if all these other fighters went on to inherit all this credit stemming from Lomachenko and one off-night. And now here we are with Lomachenko almost being considered an afterthought even though this all this started with him. In other words, if not for Lomachenko losing to Lopez, how much credit would we give to Haney’s resumé?

This should not detract from our image of Haney. At just 24, he holds all the belts and expecting him to have some extensive world-class pedigree at this stage is unrealistic. He also had an expansive amateur background and was always fancied as a blue-ship/can’t-miss prospect. An ideally built lightweight with height and reach, he first won the WBC belt in 2019 and had good wins over the likes of JoJo Diaz and Jorge Linares before setting his sights on unified champion Kambosos, winning a pair of decisions in Australia, showing he can travel too. At 24, he’s a well-seasoned and experienced fighter with the youthful energy to go along with it.

Matchup-wise, one can see why this appears to be less than a favorable matchup for Lomachenko. With his length and reach, his feet really make Haney a tough guy to fight. Opponents need to work hard to get in range, only to find Haney has deftly scooted out of the danger-zone. He waits for the opponent to reset, then launches combos that leave opponents seemingly always a step behind. While being tall, he also doesn’t present a large target, as he is very responsible defensively, while knowing instinctively when to launch shots when his opponent is incapable of returning substantial fire.

I think it’s possible to make a pick in this fight without badmouthing either man. I think an urgent Lomachenko is a handful. Those skills that had the world taking notice several years ago are still present and could give a look to Haney that is so beyond what he has seen that it gives him a lot of trouble. But for this fight, it’s hard to not defer to Haney being so polished, professional, and poised beyond his years. Though just 24, he has a veteran’s nose for the winner’s circle. He has a game-plan and nothing gets him off of that. And if he decides to box and move against Lomachenko, I think it sets up for a night where it’s going to be hard for Lomachenko to shine in a way that puts him in the good graces of the judges. I like Haney in this one.

My Prediction to Win the Fight:
I’m betting on Devin Haney at -285 betting odds. Taking a number like that against Lomachenko is far from comforting. But it’s just hard to imagine a smaller fighter without one-punch power truly threatening a version of Haney who is dead-set on boxing, winning rounds, and getting to the finish line a routine winner. Bet your fight picks for FREE all week by scoring a 125% real cash bonus up to $400 AND get a FREE HALF POINT everytime you bet your favorite team in each sport when you use bonus promo code PREDICTEM at GTBets Sportsbook! These guys are going to ridiculous lengths to get your business!