Vasiliy Lomachenko Is Dirty, Devin Haney Says

Vasiliy Lomachenko is dirty, he hits on the break, said 135 champ Devin Haney repeatedly during this fight week.

“It’s the truth, he knows what he’s training for, he knows he wants to try and punch on the break,” Devin Haney asserted during a sit-down with Crystina Poncher and Loma.

Loma, LOL, sat there on TALK THAT TALK, and didn’t take any bait, visually. “He knows what I’m talking about,” Haney said.

Me, I don’t perceive Loma as being dirty, but that got me thinking, have I missed what Team Haney is focusing on? Or, really, is there not that much too it, and Haney is simply trying to “game the refs?”

Devin Haney, Crystina Poncher and Vasiliy Lomachenko on TALK THAT TALK. Haney said Vasiliy Lomachenko is dirty a few times in the session

“Do you know what he’s talking about?” asked Poncher of Loma, who looked like a kid who took the cookies, and denies it, but still has crumbs on his shirt.

“I don’t understand what he means,” Vasiliy Lomachenko protested, as Haney accused him of not keeping a straight face. “One more time, please,” he said in perfect English.

Vasiliy Lomachenko Is Dirty For This Reason

Haney repeated the accusation. You punch on the break, mainly, is what Haney said. “Where? When,” Loma asked, understandably.

Haney implied, maybe, that he has eyes inside the Loma camp, when he said he knows that Loma is practicing hitting on the break. Loma looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, no surprise as he doesn’t enjoy media duties.

More tidbits from the interaction:

—Loma said they didn’t fight four years ago, because Haney is only doing it now, because he doesn’t have other options.

—Vasiliy Lomachenko thinks Haney won’t be so skilled at 140.

—Haney thinks a win puts “my name in the history books forever.”

—Loma praised Haney, his speed, feet, distance control, is good.

Devin Haney accuses Loma of being dirty. The assertion hasn’t picked up too many followers if one judges on social media

Haney Wants People To Believe Loma Is Still Top Tier

—Will Loma be too small? Nah. “It will be very hard,” Loma admitted, however.

—Pressure is on both, Haney said. There’s not extra pressure because maybe Loma is nearer to retirement? Nah, said Loma, there’s more pressure on Haney, he has no belt, he’s older, etc.

—Haney said nah, he didn’t call Vasiliy Lomachenko “old.” Then he recalled that he did say that, on Twitter. “I was just talking’ shit, you’re not old,” the younger man said.

—Interesting. Haney was asked if he thinks Loma will retire if he loses. No, “I think he’ll probably go back down to 130.” Looked like Loma nodded a tiny bit at that…but maybe he was just nodding that he understood Haney’s stance. “I think he could become undisputed at 130,” said Haney, who admits he’d rather people think Loma is a masterful practitioner. Note: Loma said he HOPES that he will be his best self on Saturday

—Haney is crafty. He called Loma gritty, then added that he’s dirty, too.

—A win means validation, Haney said, and “puts me atop the pound for pound list.”

—Haney said it will be a good fight, and “he’s coming to fight dirty.”

—Vasiliy Lomachenko said the better man will win. Haney wanted him to say he will win, but Loma is a pragmatist, I guess.

–Maybe the best Loma line was this: Poncher asked if maybe he’d try to start quicker. You recall that pundits wondered why he took so long to get going versus Teofimo Lopez. “Maybe slower,” Loma said, grinning widely.

Ok, friends, leave us a Tweet if you like. Is Haney onto something with the dirty talk? Or is this just him looking to get extra love from the officials?