Eddie Hearn addressed the media ahead of the lightweight bout between Devin Haney and Yuriorkis Gamboa. He explained how they targeted Lomachenko.
Boxing’s lightweight division is on fire and might be the most talented division from top to bottom. Devin Haney has his chance to wow boxing fans on Saturday, Nov. 7, when he meets Yuriorkis Gamboa.
However, Haney’s original quarry was Vasiliy Lomachenko.
During a press conference on Thursday, Nov. 4, Eddie Hearn fielded questions from the media regarding Haney vs. Gamboa and his thoughts on Haney’s future. Hearn referred to Gamboa as a “test” for Haney and his opportunity to prove that he’s one of the world’s elite lightweights.
Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) is the current WBC lightweight champion, and Gamboa (30-3, 18 KOs) is the former two-division world champion. At 22 years old, Haney is 16 years Gamboa’s junior.
Current WBA “regular” lightweight and WBA junior lightweight champion Gervonta Davis stopped Gamboa in round 12 of Gamboa’s last outing in 2019. Gamboa suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the fight but courageously fought on being severely injured and highly immobile.
FanSided asked Hearn if he was using Haney’s performance against Gamboa as a barometer for how to proceed with future matchups. Hearn, who’s a masterful storyteller, offered up an anecdote to set up his ultimate answer.
According to Hearn, Haney pursued the WBC interim title because he wanted an eventual meeting with then-WBC champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
“He [Haney] said, ‘I want to fight Lomachenko.’ I said, Okay, well, if we get this final eliminator, and Lomachenko was fighting [Luke] Campbel, you will be the mandatory challenger to Lomachenko. That’s what we want to do,” Hearn related to FanSided.
Eddie Hearn explained how he and Devin Haney strategized a route to meet Vasiliy Lomachenko in the ring
Hearn continued, “As soon as he [Haney] won that fight, we went to the WBC convention, and we pitched to the WBC to order that fight immediately. At the same time, Top Rank pitched to the WBC that Vasiliy Lomachenko be made franchise champion. So, unfortunately, we missed the boat.”
Haney was elevated to full WBC champion in October of 2019 when the WBC deemed Lomachenko to franchise status. Lomachenko lost the WBO, WBA, and WBC franchise titles to Teofimo Lopez last month, making Lopez the youngest four-belt holder at 23 years old. If Haney fought Lomachenko and won, then control of the lightweight division would have been split between Haney and Lopez.
Returning to FanSided’s original question, Hearn stated that he thinks Haney will prove he’s worthy to face the lightweight division’s best.
“Devin is cut from the same cloth as Teofimo and Tank,” said Hearn. “They really believe that they can beat anybody, and they have no fear in doing it. From my point of view, a devastating performance from Devin on Saturday would give me full confidence to go out to risk it all against…well look. When we look at the ones that are fully proven is Tank and Teofimo. They have passed the elite level tests.”
Hearn took a quick swipe at Haney’s social media rival and division enemy Ryan Garcia before finishing his response.
“On Saturday, Devin faces his real test. Ryan Garcia, who by the way is a great fighter and a great fine young man. He’s yet to take anywhere near that test yet,” jabbed Hearn. “I believe he has fantastic ability, but his test comes on Dec. 5 against Luke Campbell.”
If Haney outperforms Davis’s stoppage of Gamboa, then he can make his case as the premier lightweight in the world. Haney vs. Gamboa goes down on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on DAZN.