The undisputed lightweight title will be on the line inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena when Devin Haney makes the second defense of his undisputed crown against Vasiliy Lomachenko.
All of the 135-pound belts will be up for grabs as Haney looks to extend his unbeaten professional record, having become the first undisputed champion at this weight class since the great Pernel Whittaker, but Lomachenko is considered one of the very best in the world of boxing today.
We'll break down the fight and provide you with our best free boxing picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash.
Remember that these bookies offer plenty of betting bonuses and promotions.
Devin Haney vs Vasiliy Lomachenko information
- Saturday, May 20th 2023
- MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, WBC and The Ring lightweight championships (135lbs)
- 12 x 3 minute rounds
- Live on ESPN+
Devin Haney vs Vasiliy Lomachenko odds
- Devin Haney - (-256)
- Vasiliy Lomachenko - (+220)
Haney has established himself as one of the greatest lightweight boxers in history with his career to date, with a professional record of 29-0 with 15 knockouts to his name coming into this one.
He claimed his first world title when he stopped Zaur Abdullaev in the fourth round back in 2019 to claim the WBC title. Since then his six most recent fights have come in unanimous decision wins against Alfredo Santiago, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr and then twice against George Kambosos Jr in his own back yard in Australia.
If you want to bet on Haney to get the job done once again and continue his unbeaten run, he can be found at a best price of -256 which means you would need to bet $256 to see a $100 profit, making him a strong favorite.
But across the ring from him will be one of the most influential boxers of this era in Lomachenko, a former unified world champion at this weight class with a professional record of 17-2 with 11 knockouts.
Loma really burst onto the scene when he took on Guillermo Rigondeaux and made him quit on his stool after six rounds to retain the WBO junior lightweight title. He followed that up with TKO win over Jorge Linares, a 4th round KO over Anthony Crolla and then a dominant decision win over Luke Campbell in London, England to have three of the four belts.
He then came up against Teofimo Lopez and shockingly was beaten via unanimous decision, which was his first defeat since a split decision in his second professional fight. He has since bounced back with a knockout win over Masayoshi Nakatani and decision wins over Richard Commey and Jamaine Ortiz.
If you fancy Lomachenko to finally get his hands on all the gold he is a best price of +220 to get it done, meaning you will make $220 profit for every $100 you bet.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
Devin Haney vs Vasiliy Lomachenko preview
Haney vs Lomachenko for the undisputed lightweight crown is arguably the biggest and best fight of 2023. One of the reasons this fight is significant is Lomachenko’s greatness and ability to pivot and create angles is something not seen by anyone else in the division, and he is a genuine superstar with the ability to win the fight.
Alternatively there is Haney, who is already at the pinnacle of the sport despite being just 24-years-old and is among the best movers and pure boxers in the world right now regardless of size.
This fight should be as technical as it comes in boxing. In order for Lomachenko to win this fight though he will need to take more risks than his opponent because he has the power advantage. The issue with that is that Haney will be well aware and that type of approach from an opponent usually plays into his hands when it comes to slick counters and his defense.
If Haney can control the pace and keep Lomachenko going backwards for most of the fight, he should be able to bank enough rounds to get the win. However, if Haney allows Lomachenko the time and space to pick up on his tendencies and also allows Lomachenko to get inside on him then nobody would be surprised if he were to lose the belts.
Boxing picks: Haney on the cards
Stylistically the fight is super interesting, but the champion is the champion for a reason.
He has got the perfect style to dominate fights and control opponents to make them do what he needs, and while Lomachenko is one of the greats he is now 35-years-old and arguably on a downward spiral in his career.
I don't expect either fighter will be aggressive enough to get a finish and with both being so good defensively it would be difficult even if they did.
Haney is sharper, has a speed advantage and for once Lomachenko is not definitely the best pure boxer in the ring. This is the fight where Haney makes the doubters believers, and he'll take a wide decision win to retain the belts.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
