Devin Haney says Vasiliy Lomachenko was tougher to fight than Ryan Garcia. The 26-year-old two-weight world champion made this call after facing both fighters in the past year.
Haney, who's held world titles at lightweight and super lightweight, fought Lomachenko in May 2023. He won by unanimous decision and kept his undisputed lightweight titles. Some fans thought Lomachenko should've won that fight.
In April 2024, Haney lost to Ryan Garcia on points. Garcia knocked Haney down several times during the fight. But Garcia failed a drug test after the bout, so the result changed to a no contest.
Even though Garcia gave him more trouble in the ring, Haney still rates Lomachenko as the tougher opponent. He explained why in an interview with Not Just Boxing on YouTube.
"I would say so far Loma. He's definitely a Hall of Famer. He had a lot of tools and a lot of experience and it made me a better fighter."
Haney added:
"The better the opponent the better I am. The more I step it up. You saw that against Lomachenko. A Hall of Famer. Fighting the best I rise to the occasion."
Before facing Lomachenko and Garcia, Haney had already beaten some big names like Regis Prograis, George Kambosos Jr, and Jorge Linares.
Haney's next fight might be against Jose Ramirez, according to reports. He's also likely to have a rematch with Ryan Garcia later this year.
