Tag Archives: Jorge Linares

Posted on 07/06/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Like most, Jorge Linares was completely taken aback with what took place when Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez squared off late last year. Having shared the ring with the Ukrainian, Linares expected the pound-for-pound star to take care of business against his explosive, yet inexperienced opponent.

Those thoughts, however, simply didn’t come to fruition as Lopez went on to dominate the first half of their contest before holding on down the stretch for a unanimous decision victory.

From the moment Lopez was handed the win, Lomachenko claimed that he should have, in fact, been announced the winner or, at the very least, been given a draw. He immediately asked for a rematch but was denied by the 23-year-old. Instead of continuing to pursue a rematch with Lopez by using his words, Lomachenko figured that the best way to get his rival back into the ring was by sending him a violent message.

Just a few weeks ago, Lomachenko made his return by taking on the highly-rated Masayoshi Nakatani. While the Japanese fighter gave Lopez all he could handle in a losing effort in 2019, Lomachenko ran right through him, stopping him in the ninth round. That performance has Linares not only believing that Lomachenko vs. Lopez 2 is likely next but also, that this time around, the outcome could be completely different.

“I think he can have the rematch with Lopez,” said Linares during an interview with SnowQueenLA. “I think this time, Lopez can lose the fight.”

Although Linares came up short in his bid to dethrone Lomachenko in 2018, the Venezuelan product floored his man in the sixth round and fought him tooth and nail. Unfortunately for Linares, however, his efforts weren’t enough as he ultimately succumbed to a 10th round body shot.

The loss for Linares may have been difficult to swallow but he watched from afar as Lomachenko continued to win fight after fight. What Linares believes he noticed though, was that while Lomachenko was continuing to rack up the wins, he didn’t look quite as dominant.

To the Ukrainian though, his lackluster performances against Lopez and others had nothing to do with whom he was fighting. Instead, it had everything to do with an injured right shoulder. He’s since gone under the knife and by all accounts, appears to be back to his old dominant self.

The performance of Lomachenko not only impressed Linares but also promoter Bob Arum and father of Lopez in Teofimo Lopez Sr.

“I wasn’t thinking about Lomachenko in the past,” said Lopez Sr. after watching Lomachenko stop Nakatani. “But after this performance, I think that the public wants to see this fight. I think I can convince my son to fight him again.”

Before any rematch can be made, Lopez first has to deal with mandatory challenger, George Kambosos Jr. The two had their original bout re-scheduled due to Lopez contracting COVID-19 and will now face off on August 14th.

In the mind of most, Lopez is expected to take care of business against the undefeated Australian native. Should that happen, all roads to Lomachenko vs. Lopez 2 are now clear. If the two do in fact, step into the ring again, Linares warns Lopez of a completely different Lomachenko for their sequel.

“Now, Lomachenko is back.”

Posted on 06/12/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Vasiliy Lomachenko is busy putting the final finishing touches on his training camp as he prepares to return to the ring against lightweight contender Masayoshi Nakatani on June 26th, at the Virgin Hotels, in Las Vegas, Nevada. But even as the Ukrainian is fully focused on the task at hand, he still took a bit of time away from his busy schedule to flick on the television and watch some boxing. Just a few weeks ago, Lomachenko found one matchup, in particular, to be very intriguing.

Current WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney took on former multiple-time champion, Jorge Linares. Over the past few months, both Haney and Lomachenko have exchanged verbal jabs with one another over the possibility of a future showdown. Although Lomachenko believes he’ll punish Haney if the two ever did face off, he did give the 22-year-old his props for looking explosive in the ring.

“It was a very good fight,” said Lomachenko during an interview with SnowQueenLA. “He show us his skill. He’s a very smart boxer.

Haney, a Las Vegas resident, used every weapon in his toolbox on that Saturday night to pull off the win. While he looked impressive for the vast majority of their fight, Haney had serious problems going down the stretch.

At the tail end of the 10th, Haney was rocked and visibly staggered to his corner. For the remainder of their contest, Haney refused to let his hands go and held Linares seemingly every second he could. Before getting rattled, Lomachenko couldn’t help but be impressed with the young titleholder but considering how he finished the fight, all the Ukrainian could do was shake his head in disappointment.

“He had a problem in the fight,” continued Lomachenko. “The last three rounds were very hard for him. Nobody knows if Linares catches him one more time. Referee helped him a little bit because Haney always hold the last three rounds. If the referee take away a point from Haney, I think it will be another picture.

“Haney was trying to survive. He was trying to finish the fight somehow because he couldn’t do anything else. All he was able to do was wrestle and hold. That is illegal in boxing. By doing that, he was able to avoid the fight. But then again, before that one shot, he was winning the fight. He won this fight no question but it was not easy.”

In the mind of many, the criticism of Lomachenko would seem a bit unfair. Having shared the ring with Linares roughly three years ago, the pound for pound stalwart knows good and well how difficult he is to overcome. In May of 2018, Lomachenko was caught with a straight right hand from Linares and hit the deck for the first in his career. Despite the knockdown, Lomachenko quickly peeled himself up off the canvas to stop Linares in the 10th.

Lomachenko has no issue with anyone who brings up his hard-fought battle against Linares. All that he asks, is that everyone use the proper context when discussing it.

“It was flush. Yea I lost balance but I get up and feel good and was ready to finish the fight. When I fought Linares, he was in his prime. It was three years ago and I fought Linares with one hand because I had a problem with my shoulder in the second round. Before this knockdown, I didn’t have a problem. In my opinion, there is nothing to compare between Haney vs Linares and my fight vs Linares. It doesn’t mean anything to me because the time we fought Linares was different. He was at the top back then, right now he is an older fighter.”

Posted on 06/01/2021

By: Steven Galeano

WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney took a significant step toward divisional supremacy Saturday night after defeating former three-division world champion Jorge Linares. Haney faced adversity after being visibly hurt at the end of round 10, yet showed veteran tactics to survive and preserve a unanimous decision to defend his world title. The three judges scored the bout – 116-112, 116-112, 115-113, all for Haney.

Is Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) the best lightweight in the world right now?

No.

Unified champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) owns that notion, and many would not debate such a topic. Vasyl Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs), is still the second best lightweight, despite losing his world titles to Lopez in October of 2020. For whatever reason, Lomachenko is seemingly a forgotten man in the division, yet he is still second best after being number one since entering the division in 2018.

Haney deservedly is number three after his big win over Linares (47-6, 29 KOs). Whether you consider Gervonta Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) a lightweight, definitely shakes up this list. With Davis’ last fight taking place at super featherweight, and his next fight taking place at super lightweight, he will currently be left out of the list.

Haney proved himself to be a world-class operator, outclassing Linares in a way fans are not accustomed to seeing. The masterclass was largely overlooked by the end of round 10 when Linares badly hurt Haney before the bell rang, as Haney stumbled to the corner. Haney smartly held for the next two rounds, much to the dismay of fans.

Most in the boxing world are clamoring to see Haney face-off with Lopez, largely to clear up the confusion regarding whether Lopez is truly undisputed. That is another topic to discuss separately. Haney firmly staked himself as the third best lightweight in the world and the Linares win only further justified his placement. The victory, however, was not nearly enough to place him higher than Lomachenko, considering Lomachenko knocked out a more formidable version of Linares in 10 rounds back in 2018. To place himself as number one or two, he will need to secure an opportunity against Lopez or Lomachenko, two fights that will cause great debates in regards to who will win.

Haney defeating Linares was a great step, as boxing fans have been requesting Haney and promoter Eddie Hearn to step up his level of competition. His method of winning the WBC title was controversial, yet his victory over Linares was the sort of signature victory that erased all doubts of his championship mettle.

Haney proved he is an elite talent, and the next step is simply to continue fighting the best possible contenders. The top fights in the division will not be easy to make, yet fans hope to see them come to fruition soon enough. As his profile continues to grow, fans will put more pressure to see the top fights happen before the appeal fades.

Posted on 05/30/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Having spent plenty of time with him in numerous sparring sessions, Jorge Linares had a good idea as to what to expect when he took on Devin Haney. The two faced off last night at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for Haney’s WBC lightweight title.

Considering that every time Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) tasted defeat it came via stoppage, the widespread belief heading in was that Haney would be able to beat the Venezuelan native in similar fashion. With that said, the chin of Linares held up just fine.

Though he proved to be durable, Linares still went on to lose a close unanimous decision on the night. As he left the ring, the former multiple-time champion appeared to be fine. When asked to evaluate his much younger opponent, Linares pointed out some of his strengths and weaknesses.

“He was fast but I didn’t feel his punch,” said Linares during an interview with Fight Hub TV following the loss. “He has good speed but only that. His style is a little difficult because he always going back, back, back and then clench.”

As previously mentioned by Linares, Haney showed exactly why he’s one of boxing’s young stars with an early boxing clinic. But while he enjoyed plenty of success early on, Linares took over down the stretch.

Facing a wide deficit and fighting most of their contest with his hands in his pockets, Linares finally let his hands go in the tenth round. A visibly rocked Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) stumbled to his corner at the end of the round and never appeared to truly recover for the duration of the match. With Haney seemingly on the ropes, the 22-year-old held profusely. Despite facing Haney in his hometown, most of the crowd cheered Linares on as they wanted him to go on the attack. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t empty the tank.

Now, as he looks back, Linares explains what wrong and what ultimately led to his defeat.

“I was so tired because I was only thinking to block, block, block,” explained Linares. “Then when I get the chance, I do combinations because I have more punch than him but the referee was a little intense. In the ninth round, I have a big chance. When he come back to the ring, he was so bad and he only come to clench me but the referee was even more intense. I thought he was going to take away one point.”

Posted on 05/30/2021

By: Hans Themistode

All Devin Haney believed he needed was the right opponent to showcase the skills many have lauded him for. Tonight, at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, he was given the perfect foe.

With multiple world titles in numerous weight classes sitting on his mantle at home, Jorge Linares was firmly under the belief that he was ready to add to his already impressive collection. With that said, Haney proved to be a bit too much.

In front of reportedly 5,000 fans, Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) was the far sharper and stronger fighter on the night. The moment the opening bell rang, Haney stepped right to his former sparring partner and attempted to take the center of the ring. He pushed out a stiff jab that snapped back the head of Linares and spent most of the round outboxing his man.

With the jab of Haney pocketing him the round, the Las Vegas, resident went right back to it in round two. The 22-year-old pushed the pace and threw countless jabs. Seemingly unsure how to stop it, Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) kept a high tight guard and allowed the blows of Haney to bounce off his gloves. Realizing the new tactic of his opponent, Haney began punishing the body of Linares. Straight left hands to the midsection brought the hands of Linares down which allowed Haney to land several shots upstairs.

As the rounds began to tick away, Linares appeared content with simply looking for the right opportunity to land a big shot. Although he uncorked several, Haney was simply too slick as Linares would continually hit nothing but air.

As round five rolled by, Linares came out with a sense of urgency. The former multiple division champion had his best round by far as he landed big shots. Still, despite his success, Haney steadied himself and got back to his boxing for the duration of their contest.

Many of the rounds began looking the same as Haney boxed, moved and landed at will. With the championship rounds upon them, Haney appeared to be in cruise control. Then, just when he believed he was safe, Haney stood around in the pocket for far too long in the tenth. Linares landed a sharp left hand and finished his combination with a hard right. As the bell rang, Haney wobbled to his corner.

A confident Linares attempted to go on the attack in round 11 but Haney held on for dear life. Although Haney appeared to get his second wind in the 12th and final round, in no way shape or form did he seem interested in exchanging heavy shots with the former belt holder. At one point during the round, Haney ran toward his man and hugged him. As the seconds ticked off the clock, the crowd booed profusely.

With 12 rounds officially in the books, Linares simply ran out of time as Haney held, hugged, boxed his way to a close unanimous decision victory. Two judges scoring the bout had it 116-112 while the final judge had it 115-113, all in favor of Haney.

Posted on 05/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

World title opportunities simply don’t come around every day. And with the chance to return to championship status for the first time since 2018, Jorge Linares took the first necessary step.

The former multiple division titlist stepped onto the scales weighing 134 pounds for his WBC lightweight showdown against Devin Haney. Following back-to-back wins against fringe contenders Carlos Morales and Al Toyogon, Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) positioned himself for yet another world opportunity.

In order to lace his shoulders with gold once more, he’ll have to overcome the steep odds placed in front of him by the betting public.

Haney, 22, confidently walked onto the stage and stepped onto the scale weighing exactly 135 pounds. A smiling Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) held firmly onto his title as the two faced off for the final time before they swap fists at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Regardless of the skills Haney has placed on display during his young career, he’s continued to see widespread criticism surrounding his lightweight title reign. With his championship run beginning with an email that signaled his elevation from interim champion to full belt holder, the boxing world has waited patiently for Haney to step into the ring with a bonafide threat.

As an admission from Haney indicates, he believes he’ll be getting just that.

“He’s definitely my toughest opponent up to date,” said Haney of Linares during an interview with several reporters. “He’s fast, has plenty left in the tank and he’s still a great fighter but I’m prepared.”

The action kicks off at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow night on DAZN.

Posted on 05/28/2021

By: Hector Franco

This weekend at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, NV, WBC lightweight titleholder Devin “The Dream” Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) will attempt to make the third defense of his title against former three-division champion Jorge Linares (47-5, 29 KOs).

Haney, 22, has become one of the most controversial world champions in boxing since becoming the WBC lightweight belt holder in 2019.

Haney won the WBC interim lightweight title in September 2019, scoring a fourth-round stoppage over Zaur Abdullaev. In October 2019, the WBC elevated former unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko as their franchise champion in the division.

With Lomachenko being the WBC franchise champion at lightweight, Haney was elevated to full-champion status for the WBC.

The WBC’s franchise status has only added to the championship calamity in boxing.

While Haney has had some solid wins for a fighter of his age, his status as a world champion has come into question. Many believe that he was given a world title rather than having earned one in the ring.

When Teofimo Lopez defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko last October, the bout was for all four major world titles at lightweight; however, for the WBC, only the WBC’s franchise distinction was on the line. This slight discrepancy made Lopez’s status as the undisputed lightweight champion one that could be disputed.

For his part, Lopez has made it known that he does not consider Haney to be a true world champion.

“He ain’t the WBC champion,” Lopez stated to Boxing Scene. “He is the email world champion. He is the true definition of fake it til you make it. The only thing that that’s keeping him relevant right now is that fake-ass belt.”

Against Linares, Haney will have the opportunity to prove himself and his legitimacy as a world titleholder. The Venezuelan fighter has held titles at featherweight, super featherweight, and lightweight, holding victories over fighters like Oscar Larios, Anthony Crolla, and Luke Campbell.

Linares has also been the definition of a world champion, having fought in eight different countries, including Japan, Venezuela, Panama, Argentina, Korea, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has fought most of his fights in Japan, having made his pro debut in the country and fighting there about 24 times.

The 35-year old Linares has proven to be a highly skilled technician throughout his career; however, all five of his losses have come by stoppage. Three of his five losses came in the first two rounds against fighters that were considered heavy underdogs.

His losses to Juan Carlos Salgado and Sergio Thompson were surprising and unexpected. Linares’ most recent defeat came at the hands of Pablo Cesar Cano in January 2019 with a first-round stoppage.

Linares’ career is a reminder that anything can happen when you step inside the ring. Regardless of his defeats, the Venezuelan has proven to be a high-level fighter more times than not and represents a significant step up in competition for Haney.

“It means everything for my career,” Haney said to Matchroom Boxing in a promotional interview on social media. “This is, on paper, the toughest test for me. This fight means everything. If I don’t get past him, then I don’t go into the bigger and better fights.

“This is a fight for me to showcase everything and show the world that I am elite.”

For Haney, the fight with Linares will be his chance to establish himself further as a world champion. Should he get past the veteran, fights of greater importance for his wallet and legacy will be available.

Posted on 05/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jorge Linares has spent approximately 20 years of his life boxing as a professional. Considering his extensive amateur background as well, it’s safe to say that the Venezuelan product has seen just about everything in the ring.

Still, even with his substantial amount of experience, Linares is tasked with something he hasn’t quite seen before.

In just a few more days, the multiple division titlist will take on WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Having shared the ring with Haney for numerous sparring sessions, Linares thinks highly of his former training partner. With that said, all of that goes out the window come Saturday night.

“The motivation that I have right now is crazy,” said Linares to Matchroom Boxing. “I love this feeling. The champion feeling. This is a new challenge for me. I have a lot of respect for Devin Haney. He’s a young guy, a world champion and I respect that but Saturday night, I lose the respect for him. I’m ready to make an amazing fight.”

At the age of 22, Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) has been touted as one of boxing’s youngest and brightest stars. With the WBC title safely tucked underneath his arm, Haney, by and large, is expected to pick up the win come Saturday night.

From the outside looking in, Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) won’t deny the talent that his much younger opponent possesses. Yet, despite the speed, power and boxing skills that Haney has in his arsenal, when it comes down to it, Linares believes he has one thing that he doesn’t.

“The experience is the best thing I have. He don’t have that. He has talent.”

At the age of 35, Linares has faced some of boxing’s best over the years including Vasiliy Lomachenko and Antonio DeMarco. But while Linares is of the belief that he can rattle off a long list of experienced foes he’s fought, he believes only Haney’s most recent contest against Yuriokis Gamboa can qualify as a good learning experience.

During their showdown which took place in late 2020, Haney was mostly criticized for failing to stop the 39-year-old. Quietly, Linares tuned in to watch how their contest would play out. Although Haney managed to pick up the win, he offers a bit of advice to the young star.

“The only fight where he takes good experience is Gamboa but Gamboa is nothing for me right now. He knows that he can’t do the same mistakes that he made with Gamboa. If he try to do the same thing, I kill him. I can kill him, very quick. If I get the time, he’s going down. If I get the opportunity, I finish the fight.”

Posted on 05/18/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Devin Haney is putting the final finishing touches on his training camp in preparation for Jorge Linares on May 29th. The two will face off at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For the 22-year-old WBC lightweight belt holder, he’s constantly heard the criticism surrounding his level of opposition. With that said, Haney knows good and well that no one will be able to critique him if he were to pick up the win. In order to do so, he made sure he left no stone unturned.

“It’s been a great eight-week camp,” said Haney. “I started in Las Vegas, got some light sparring, then traveled to the Bay Area. I spent three weeks training with Victor Conte and Remi Korchemny at SNAC. The remaining weeks, I’ve been in Las Vegas, getting great sparring work with local pros that have been pushing me hard. I’m ready.”

Linares, 35, has long called for a showdown with Haney. The two were once sparring partners several years ago and although the Venezuelan native refrained from going into detail on how those sparring matches unfolded, he expressed an extraordinary amount of confidence.

In any event, the betting public couldn’t care less about how self-assured Linares is. The former multiple division titlist is currently pegged as a heavy underdog. Considering his advanced age and his up and down performances as of late, many are expecting Haney to walk away with the win.

While he appreciates the support wholeheartedly, Haney, by and large, is paying little to no attention to those who believe he’ll pick up the win fairly easily. In no way, shape or form is Haney doubting his own abilities but simply put, he knows exactly what he’s up against.

“Linares is a great fighter that has a lot left in the tank. He has held multiple world championships in three weight classes and he’s by far the biggest step up in my career. I give my dad Bill Haney, who is my trainer, a lot of credit, we know exactly what it takes to get this done on May 29th. My skills are on another level and I will make the necessary adjustments, wear him down and completely dominate this fight. The world will see, I’m the best fighter on the planet.”

Posted on 05/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At the age of 35, Jorge Linares is still a fairly young man. However, in terms of boxing, he’s viewed as an ancient fighter. The former multiple division champion still considers himself at the top of his game though, even as he reaches the twilight of his career.

Currently, Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) is putting the finishing touches on his training camp as he prepares to take on WBC lightweight belt holder, Devin Haney. Although the Venezuelan native doesn’t see a dip in his speed or punching power, he’s listened closely as most have viewed him as an aging fighter. Nevertheless, he still believes his credentials in the boxing world demand a level of respect.

“People say Jorge Linares is old, he’s retiring, he lose five times but they don’t recognize that I was world champion four times,” said Linares during an interview with Boxing Social.

Linares will have the chance to add to his already impressive credentials when he takes on Haney. The two are slated to face off on May 29th, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Linares is confident that he’ll take care of business in the next few weeks, he notices the sizable talent of Haney. In the 22-year-olds most recent ring outing, he received a ton of criticism for his performance against long-faded former champion, Yuriokis Gamboa. Most were expecting Haney to walk through the 39-year-old considering he was coming off an Achilles tear and stoppage defeat at the hands of Gervonta Davis roughly one year prior.

Despite those expectations, Haney was forced to settle for a lopsided unanimous decision victory. In the mind of Linares, there was nothing wrong with the showing of Haney. In fact, he was actually impressed.

“I respect him. Little by little he gains experience. I saw his last fight with Gamboa. Gamboa is nothing right now but he does amazing job.”

With the likes of Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis and several others currently crowding the top of the 135-pound division, Linares can’t help but smile when he thinks of all the endless possibilities that await him. With that said, he quickly turns his attention to the task at hand. While he may want to jump into the ring with all of the big names as soon as possible, he knows that if he doesn’t take care of business on May 29th, those dream matchups could go down the drain.

“There’s a lot of good boxers in lightweight but I’m ready. The most important thing is to win this fight and think about the next one.”

Posted on 03/16/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Devin Haney hasn’t signed his name to any contracts just yet, but he knows a showdown against former multiple division champion Jorge Linares is most likely next for him.

Currently, both sides are locked in negotiations with May being floated around as the target date. With Haney’s resume shallow in terms of elite-level opponents, the WBC lightweight titlist has welcomed a showdown against Linares with open arms. But while he’s locked in on the former champion, he is still holding out hope that a certain Ukrainian sneaks in through the backdoor.

“Jorge Linares is the frontrunner,” said Haney during an interview with FightHype. “But I’m still looking forward to hopefully making a fight with Loma (Lomachenko).”

Over the past few weeks, both Haney and Lomachenko have thrown jabs at one another over social media. Although it is unlikely, both sides have agreed to take each other on in May. Yet, they appear to be heading in opposite directions.

Haney (25-0, 15 KOs), as previously mentioned, is deep in negotiations with Linares. As for Lomachenko, promoter Bob Arum recently claimed that he is interested in matching him up against Masayoshi Nakatani.

Haney though, is hoping that they will simply fight each other instead. While his interest in facing Lomachenko has somewhat waned since the Ukrainians defeat at the hands of Teofimo Lopez just a few months ago, Haney still believes that a showdown between them would be nothing short of box-office.

“I’m happy that he finally acknowledged me and interested in fighting me. It sucks that now it comes after he takes a loss. I would rather it happen when he was on top but at the end of the day, a fight with Loma would still be huge and a fight that I would welcome.”

Lomachenko, 33, was thoroughly outboxed when he was last seen in the ring against Lopez. At the time, most pegged him as the best fighter in the world. Fast forward to today however, and Lomachenko is attempting to repair his once unbeatable image.

For what it’s worth, Haney still has a tremendous amount of respect for the former two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. But with now two losses straddled to his docket, Haney views him as vulnerable. At one point, there was seemingly only one game plan to defeat him. In 2014 in only his second pro fight, former world champion Orlando Salido handed Lomachenko the first loss of his career.

The crafty veteran pulled out every trick in the book, including what many felt was a few dirty ones as he roughed up Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) on his way to the victory. Now, with Lopez providing a different game plan to beating him, Haney believes the book on beating Lomachenko is out for the entire public to see.

“Teofimo did lay another blueprint on how to beat Loma. It just shows that there’s different ways that he can be beat.”

Posted on 02/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

With reports circulating that Devin Haney vs Jorge Linares could happen in just a few short months, the former multiple division titlist appears to be all for it.

“Come on Devin let’s do this,” said Linares on his Twitter account. “Don’t run like Ryan.”

Linares, 35, is still under the belief that current WBC lightweight interim titlist Ryan Garcia, avoided him like the plague. While the two were originally on a collision course, Garcia opted to face Luke Campbell instead, a man Linares already defeated several years ago.

Garcia’s performance against Campbell proved to be a career-defining moment as he picked himself up off the canvas before ultimately stopping his man.

Although Linares could continue his pursuit of Garcia, he has seemingly focused his attention on Haney and his WBC title.

According to an earlier report by Mike Coppinger, the two could be headed towards an April clash. For Haney, news of facing Linares would be music to his ears as he has long been hoping to face one of the bigger names at 135 pounds.

A pandemic stricken 2020 may have limited Linares to only one ring appearance, a fourth-round knockout over Carlos Morales, but he would still be considered far and away the best opponent Haney has ever faced in his young career.

In short, the Las Vegas, resident is still attempting to prove his worth to the boxing world.

Since becoming an official world champion in late 2019, Haney has fought his critics outside of the ring. Most of his naysayers are under the impression that the budding star is simply all talk and doesn’t deserve to be labeled a champion due to the circumstances in which his belt was acquired.

After winning the interim version of the WBC title by stopping Zaur Abdullaev in the fourth in early 2019, Haney became the mandatory challenger to then full titleholder, Vasiliy Lomachenko. But while he pushed for a contest between them to materialize, Haney was instead gifted the full title as Lomachenko was elevated to Franchise Champion, a confusing new status introduced by President of the sanctioning body, Mauricio Sulaiman.

Since being handed the belt, Haney has defended it on two separate occasions. First, against fringe contender Alfredo Santiago, then, against long-faded former champion Yuriokis Gamboa.

Despite the fact that nothing has been officially announced, Linares appears to signal that their deal is much closer to becoming a reality than many realize.

“Big news is coming.”

Posted on 02/16/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Devin Haney has seemingly run out of names to call out for his next ring appearance. The WBC lightweight titlist has asked for matches against Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia and of course, undisputed champion Teofimo Lopez. None however, have decided to take him up on his offer. 

With most in the boxing world still asking the 22-year-old to go out and prove himself before landing a big opportunity, Haney has seemingly taken their advice. 

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, Haney and former multiple division titlist Jorge Linares are currently working behind the scenes on a showdown. If finalized, their contest would take place on April 17th. 

For Haney, stepping into the ring against someone the caliber of Linares is exactly what the doctor ordered. Despite holding an undefeated record and regardless of having a world title draped over his shoulders, Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) is mostly viewed as an unproven commodity. 

Most of those thoughts stem from Haney’s lack of upper-echelon competition. In his last ring appearance, Haney defended his title for the second time against long-faded former champion Yuriokis Gamboa. While many were expecting Haney to get rid of his man early, Haney was forced to settle for a unanimous decision victory. 

Although Gamboa managed to win only a single round, considering how he was coming off a ruptured Achilles and is 39 years of age, Haney’s performance was regarded as mediocre. 

In Linares, despite the fact that he is 35-years-old, he would be viewed as the most accomplished and most dangerous fighter Haney has ever faced. 

The Venezuela native might be considered a top contender at 135 pounds but he is currently battling inactivity as he hasn’t fought for over a year. Before sitting on the sidelines, Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) was in the midst of a two-fight win streak. With that said, the former multiple division titlist was stopped in the first round against Pablo Cesar Cano as he attempted to move up in weight in early 2019. 

Outside of that speed bump, Linares was credited for putting on what many described as a career-best performance against pound-for-pound star, Vasiliy Lomachenko in May of 2018. On the night in question, Linares dropped his man in the sixth round and mostly fought on even terms before ultimately succumbing to a tenth-round stoppage defeat. 

Posted on 01/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There’s a reason why Vasiliy Lomachenko has been given nicknames such as “Hi-Tech,” and “The Matrix.” Simply put, the Ukrainian product is extremely difficult to hit inside of the ring.

In his latest contest however, Teofimo Lopez paid no attention to any of Lomachenko’s monikers. The 23-year-old found his man much easier to hit than even he anticipated. With 183 total shots landed, including a career-high 50 in the final round, Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) is fully aware of the power that Lopez possesses. With that said, while he does admit that he was strong, power isn’t the tell-all be all in the sport of boxing.

“He is a strong guy,” said Lomachenko during an interview with SnowQueenLA on YouTube. “But I can’t say he has some vicious punches that could knock you out cold. Yes, he does hit hard. But, you understand it’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how accurate your punches land in certain parts of the head. Then, it could end up bad.”

On paper, Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is undoubtedly the hardest hitting fighter Lomachenko has ever faced. However, it was a 2018 matchup with Jorge Linares which saw Lomachenko hit the deck.

Regardless of that, Lomachenko had a quick response when asked who hits harder between the two.

“I wouldn’t say that Linares hits harder. Lopez does hit harder. Linares threw a punch when I was stepping in and coming towards him. Those types of punches are the most dangerous type of punches in boxing. He landed that one accurately at me with the precise timing when I was stepping in towards him.”

Lomachenko would, of course, peel himself up off the canvas in the sixth to stop Linares in the tenth round. Despite the knockdown, the 32-year-old claimed that he was never in any serious trouble. Those thoughts were once again shared for his latest contest against Lopez. Even with his younger opponent landing 183 total shots, including a career-high 50 in the final round, Lomachenko believes he wasn’t in any real trouble.

“He did land some punches. It didn’t hurt me, maybe because he didn’t land them right or maybe he is not as strong as he seems to be.”

While Lomachenko claims that he wasn’t in any serious trouble, the former two-time Olympic gold medalist would come up short during their undisputed lightweight contest roughly two months ago. The results though, aren’t something that he agrees with.

From the moment the three judges sitting ringside handed in their scorecards, Lomachenko has called for an immediate rematch. Nevertheless, with no rematch clause in their initial contract, the former three-division belt holder understands that his wishes won’t be granted anytime soon.

“I still hope for a rematch but I also understand right now it’s not possible.”

Posted on 08/09/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Former three division world champion Jorge Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) has kept a close eye on pound for pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko. Both men shared the ring against one another in May of 2018. According to most observers, Linares is credited with giving the former two time Olympic gold medalist the toughest fight of his career. 

The Venezuela native not only kept up with Lomachenko from a technical standpoint, but in large spots, he out boxed his man. With a knockdown to his name in the sixth round, Linares was down by two points on one scorecard, up by the same score on another, while the third judge saw things even, before ultimately getting stopped in the tenth round. 

His performance on the night is something that has made him proud. But while he was left impressed with Lomachenko’s capabilities in the ring, he noticed something as of late.

“Lomachenko is not the same guy as he was in my fight,” said Linares during a recent interview with Fight Hub. “He’s not the same. Nope. He is different. He hasn’t done an amazing job since my fight. He’s not the same guy. Maybe because he’s old. It’s been two years since our fight and people change so much after two years.” 

At the age of 32, Lomachenko is currently two years, younger than Linares. Still, the wear and tear from two successful trips to the Olympics in 2008 and 2012 coupled with an extensive amateur career that saw him go a ridiculous 396-1, Linares believes that the mileage is adding up not only for Lomachenko but also for 38 year old Gennadiy Golovkin (GGG). 

The current IBF middleweight belt holder struggled mightily in his latest ring appearance against Sergiy Derevyanchenko. While he chalked it up to being under the weather, Linares simply wasn’t buying it. 

With his 35th birthday staring him directly in the face later this month, the former three division world champion doesn’t believe he should be in the same category as those he has criticized. For Linares, both Lomachenko and Golovkin are heading towards the ground floor on their elevators. For the Venezuelan native however, he still has a few more floors to climb. 

“Lomachenko has spent so much of his life training and GGG is the same way. Now, they are going down. But look at me, I’m 34, turning 35 next month but I’m going to the top.” 

Despite the assessment that his skills are fading, Linares still believes that Lomachenko is a great fighter. However, his aura of invincibility is slowly fading away. 

“Lomachenko is a very smart guy and fast, very difficult but he isn’t the same guy anymore.”