Press Conference Notes: Haney and Lomachenko ready for Saturday's showdown
Haney-Loma & PPV undercard fights will be broadcast live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Photo Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images
Devin “The Dream” Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) is set to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Ukraine's three-division world champion Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) this Saturday, May 20, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Haney vs. Lomachenko will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, the event’s exclusive digital distributor in the United States, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Priced at $59.99 across all distributors, it also will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers. UK fight fans can watch the entire card on Sky Sports from 1pm to 6am Sunday morning more details…The PPV undercard features a 10-round junior lightweight co-feature between two-division world champion Oscar Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) and Adam “BluNose” Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs) in a rematch of their 2019 battle.
In the PPV opener, rising lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (17-0, 14 KOs) will take on big-punching Namibian contender Jeremia Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs) in a 10-round clash.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Devin Haney Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, tickets are on sale now at axs.com.
At Wednesday's press conference, this is what the fighters had to say:
Devin Haney: “I feel like he should have fought me four years ago. But now the time has come. It’s going to be worse for him than it would have been had we fought back then.
“On paper, this is my toughest test. But I look to make it an easy night. I look to make it as easy as possible and come out victorious.
“I have been calling for this fight for four years. But the time has finally come. I take my hat off to him. I respect everything that he’s done. I respect his decision to stay and defend his country. That gave me my shot to go to Australia, so it was only right that I give him the shot as well.
“I know what he is preparing for. But at the end of the day, we’re prepared for whatever he brings to the table. If he wants to make it a dirty fight, we have answers for that.”
Vasiliy Lomachenko: “Camp was hard like always. But I was very motivating. It was motivating because I understand. It is my last chance to become undisputed. So, I pushed myself in every training session. And now there are just four days left.
“He talks about the past, but It’s hard to say things about the past. You can’t change it. Even if you talk about it, you can’t change it. Only God can change it.
“He is a high-level boxer. He understands boxing. He knows what he needs to do. He can use his reach. He can use his feet. He can create distance. But I have a lot of experience in this sport. It will be very interesting for me.”
Oscar Valdez: “I’m excited because it’s been one year since my last fight. I’m coming off a loss, so I’m motivated. It doesn’t matter if you lose. What matters is how you come back. I’m going to come back and make a statement.
“This is the perfect time for the rematch. This is what I love to do. I love being in the gym. I love training. I love fighting. You’re going to see something different Saturday night.
“Eddy Reynoso is a great trainer. We always work on a lot of things. One thing that is always clear for me is that he works on the defense.
“That doesn’t mean we’re not going to be offensive. We’re always going to keep that defense ready so that we don’t have any surprises.”
Adam Lopez: “I’m surprised this rematch is happening. Oscar said he'd give me the rematch after our first fight. But it never happened. We went our separate ways. But it’s coming back full circle. I think it’s great that it’s happening on this card. It’s a huge fight. People wanted to see it. I’m excited for it.
“I’m a different fighter now. He fought me when I was 23 years old with 15 fights. I’m 27 now with 21 fights. I’ve been in there with some of the best since the fight with him. I’ve taken some losses, but I have learned from them. I’ve always taken tough fights.
“I’m at my best. I’m in the best shape of my life. It’s a different story this time. If he thinks this is a tune-up fight, then he’s going to have a long night.”
Raymond Muratalla: “I’m just ready to be a champ. This is nothing but hard work that we’ve been putting in. I can’t wait for Saturday. I’m trying to show people that I’m the next 135-pound champion.
“I didn’t warm up like I usually do in my last fight. So, I got knocked down . But I got back up, and I got the stoppage.
“I’m ready. I’m ready for anyone. To be the best, you have to go through these people. I’m just trying to get to the top. I’m going to take care of business this Saturday.”
Jeremia Nakathila: “I can’t wait for Saturday night to do my thing. I’m excited to be here. We are looking forward to making a statement.
“The last time I was in Las Vegas you were all able to see what I displayed against Miguel Berchelt. This Saturday, you will see more than that. I saw that Muratalla wanted to fight me on social media. I saw him mention my name. But I want to say that he can’t handle what he called out.”
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