Devin Haney v Zaur Abdullaev

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Devin Haney targets lightweight showdown with Vasyl Lomachenko after stopping Zaur Abdullaev

Devin Haney has only one opponent on his mind.

The 20-year-old dominated his fight with Zaur Abdullaev from the start, stopping him after four rounds to win their WBC interim lightweight bout that should catapult Haney to a fight with champion Vasyl Lomachenko.

“Lomachenko, this guy doesn’t want to fight me,” claimed Haney, the mandatory challenger for the WBC, WBA and WBO belts owned by Lomachenko. “I’m ready to fight. Lomachenko should be fighting me.”

He might, but the Ukrainian also is interested in unifying the lightweight title, which would mean taking on the IBF champion, Richard Commey, next.

That’s how boxing goes these days, but as many observers at Madison Square Garden noted, Haney is only going to get better and stronger as he matures.

Ring doctors ended the fight with Abdullaev at the bell to start the fifth round, citing a suspected broken cheekbone for the Russian. He never challenged Haney and was blooded in the fourth.

Haney is 23-0 and it’s the 15th time he has stopped an opponent. He has made no secret that Lomachenko, considered by some the world’s best fighter, is on his radar.

Haney, 20, looked solid in his first bout at the Garden’s theater. His jab was quick and he landed several strong combinations in controlling the action.

Earlier, Brooklyn was in the ring, and in the house.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/dev...065800436.html