Devin Haney edges Lomachenko to remain undisputed

LAS VEGAS -- Devin Haney retained his undisputed lightweight championship with a unanimous decision over Vasiliy Lomachenko on Saturday in an action-packed fight before a sold-out crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Haney (30-0, 15 KOs), who dictated the first half of the fight with his jab and body work, won by scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113. However, Lomachenko dominated a majority of the championship rounds with his signature combinations. At the conclusion of the 12-round affair, boos rained down from the crowd after Haney was announced as the victor.

"I don't want to talk about the decision," said a dejected Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs), who cried in his locker room afterward. "All [the] people see what happened here today," said Lomachenko.

Egas Klimas, Lomachenko's manager called the decision "robbery" and vowed to file an appeal, a move that will likely go nowhere.

"We're not going to let this go," Klimas said. "I guarantee we're going to protest. I guarantee we're going to appeal that decision, because somebody needs to end this injustice."

At Friday's ceremonial weigh-in, Haney launched Lomachenko with a shove. The 35-year-old vowed to make Haney pay for the move, stating, "He's mine. He's scared."

Lomachenko, however, got off to another slow start, as Haney won four of the first six rounds on two scorecards. He rallied down the stretch and closed strong, winning two of the final four rounds on two cards. However, despite a dominant round 10, judge Dave Moretti scored it for Haney.

When asked to comment on the longtime judge, Lomachenko, who earned $3 million, kept it respectful.

"Maybe I don't understand boxing," he laughed.

The 12th round turned out to be the difference between a draw and a victory as Haney closed the show, using his elite jab and right hands to the body to secure the final round.

But Haney closed stronger, using his rangy jab and right hands to the body to sweep the final round. It proved to be the difference between a draw and a victory.

"Lomachenko is a future Hall of Famer," said Haney. "He was my toughest opponent by far. He is very crafty, and we put on a great fight for the fans. ... He turns it up in the championship rounds. I just have to take my hat off to him."

Haney, who is now a free agent after his three-fight deal with Top Rank expired, added his body attack was one of the keys to the win.

"The body work won me the fight, so I knew I had to invest in that body," he said. "We watched a lot of tape on Loma. He wasn't the biggest fan of body shots, so we stuck to the game plan, breaking him down."

Haney added: "He would have some good moments during the round, but he wasn't finishing the whole round strong because we invested in the body."