Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko faced off in a heated final weigh-in on Friday, with Haney uncharacteristically losing his cool and shoving his opponent with both hands. Security quickly stepped in to separate the pair before more drama could unfold. Lomachenko appeared calm and composed on stage, staring and smiling back at Haney during their final face-off with the American doing the trash-talking. Haney is the taller of the two men and is expected to come in considerably heavier than the 134.9lbs he hit the scales at on Friday. After the incident, Lomachenko insisted it was a show of fear from the younger man, saying ‘Now he is mine. He don’t have the power. Because he’s scared. He’s scared. Because I see right now. I see right now and a hundred percent [he’s scared].’ Haney admitted emotion did get the better of him but believed the show of strength was an example of how he can overpower the smaller man on the night.
24-year-old Haney has won all 29 of his professional fights, winning the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF lightweight titles in June last year against George Kambosos Jr, defending the titles four months later against the same opponent. Lomachenko, 35, is considered perhaps the best fighter of his generation, having won world titles in three different weight classes in just 19 professional fights. The two will meet tonight for all the lightweight gold, with Haney hoping to impose his will on Lomachenko and prove himself as the undisputed champion.
