Devin Haney Snags Interim 135 Belt, Stops Abdullaev in NYC

Speed and power were on display at the Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. And youth, too…and in that vein, it had me thinking how much better this guy could get…

Devin Haney came in at 22-0, from Vegas, while Zaur Abdullaev, from Russia, was 11-0, and it was Haney's power tosses which impacted the loser. After round 4, team Abdullaev said no mas, they thought their guy maybe had a busted cheek.

In the first, Haney's hand speed spoke loudly. His snappy jab kept Z at bay.

In the second, we saw Z try to sweep with a left hook, Haney saw it coming. The kid, age 20, got cooking later in the round, his offense picked up.

In the third, Haney backed up, snapped jabs, made sure not to get caught by countering Z, and then scored with an uppercut. He stayed smart, didn't over-shoot, try and wow the crowd. Wise for a young ‘un.

In the fourth, Haney kept on with the same tactics. More uppercuts, and a bit more pressure late. To that end…the Z corner pulled the plug after the round. Maybe a busted nose for Z?

Nope, cheek fracture, possibly, for the 25 year old.

The WBC interim 135 crown is now Haney's…

Here are his post fight quotes, below, and here is Haney at the post-fight presser.

Devin Haney:

On his performance: “I felt good on my performance. I wasn’t nearly done beating him, I was just warming up. I’m happy with the win.”

On when you figured him out: “Instantly, I don’t usually study cause I learn fast. I can make quick adjustments anytime and that’s what I did tonight.”

On fighting Lomachenko: “It’s No-machenko because he doesn’t want to fight me. Lomachenko let’s get this fight going! Abdullaev was number two and I destroyed him. If I’m so easy, No-machenko should fight me and get me out of the way.”

On if you can’t get Lomachenko fight: “I’ve been talking to my promoter about Nov. 9.  I think its good for the sport of boxing, brings new fans, and gets me back in the ring.”