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sports Friday 19 May 2023

Haney faces Lomachenko for undisputed lightweight championship

By MARK ANDERSON “I respect his decision to
AP Sports Writer stay and fight for his coun-
LAS VEGAS (AP) — This is the try,” Haney said. “It allowed
fight Devin Haney wanted for me to get my shot to go
four years ago, but in 2019, to Australia, so it’s only right
he was still working his way to give him his shot as well.”
toward becoming a cham- Lomachenko, 35, is a for-
pionship fighter. mer three-division cham-
Vasiliy Lomachenko was pion, and he takes a 17-2
viewed by many as the record with 11 KOs into this
best pound-for-pound box- bout.
er at the time, and fighting The odds are literally against
Haney didn’t interest him. him as he approaches the
Haney now is the undisput- latter stages of his boxing
ed lightweight champion, career, but Saturday is a
and though not thrilled at major opportunity to make
being previously passed a massive statement.
over — he has brought it “I understand it’s the last
up, oh, about 1,000 times — chance to be undisputed,”
he is giving Lomachenko a Lomachenko said.
shot. The two will meet in a Also on the main card are a
12-round match for the title 10-round junior lightweight
Saturday at MGM Grand fight between two-division
Garden Arena in Las Ve- Devin Haney, left, and Vasiliy Lomachenko pose during a press conference Wednesday, May 17, world champion Oscar
gas. 2023, in Las Vegas. Associated Press Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) and
“I definitely feel like he Adam Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs)
should’ve fought me four holds all four championship to take that fight. But Lo- a territorial defense battal- and a 10-round lightweight
years ago,” Haney said. “I belts, having risen to WBC machenko had won two ion for Ukraine. bout between Raymond
would’ve at least got my champ in October 2019 Olympic gold medals while “A lot of things are more Muratalla (17-0, 14 KOs)
shot four years ago. But after Lomachenko had his boxing for Ukraine, and he important than the sport and Jeremia Nakathila (23-
Allah is a perfect planner, title removed. didn’t want to stand idly by of boxing,” Top Rank CEO 2, 19 KOs). The undercard
and now my time has fi- Haney, 24, became the while his country was under Bob Arum said. “One of features a 12-round WBO
nally come. It’s going to undisputed champion af- attack by Russia. them is patriotism, particu- junior bantamweight title
be worse than it would’ve ter winning a one-sided Lomachenko told Klimas: larly when your country is in fight between Junto Na-
been four years ago for unanimous decision over “I’m not going. It’s not the grips of defending itself katani (24-0, 18 KOs) and
him.” George Kambosos Jr. in what’s on my mind right from a terrible aggressor. Andrew Moloney (25-2,
Oddsmakers agree. Haney June 2022 in Melbourne. now. I can’t think about my ... I salute all the people of 16 KOs). Should Moloney
is a minus-280 favorite, ac- The two fought in Australia career. I can’t think about Ukraine, and I salute Vasiliy win, he would join his twin,
cording to FanDuel Sports- that October, and the re- boxing. All I can see right Lomachenko for the stand Jason, as a world cham-
book. sult was largely the same. now is our country’s being he took staying behind to pion and become the first
Haney, who is from the The irony is Lomachenko bombed. People are get- defend his country rather Australian brothers to hold
San Francisco Bay Area could’ve fought Kambo- ting killed. Everybody in this than participate across the belts at the same time. Ja-
and lives in Las Vegas, is sos, and his manager, Egis country needs me here.” globe in Australia in a fight.” son Moloney is the WBO
29-0 with 15 knockouts. He Klimas, badly wanted him So Lomachenko enrolled in It was Haney’s big break. bantamweight champ.q

Denz claims first Grand Tour stage win,

Thomas stays in Giro lead

RIVOLI, Italy (AP) — Nico All three riders were in a “When I made it over the
Denz won the 12th stage large breakaway that had last climb … I used the
of the Giro d’Italia on Thurs- to battle to escape at the downhill to recover. And
day for his first victory in beginning of the day. on the bottom, I started to
a Grand Tour, while Ger- The trio pulled away from think, ‘yeah, I can make
aint Thomas kept hold of its fellow escapees and this actually.’ And then
the pink jersey as the race had an advantage of they didn’t attack me, so
prepares to head into the more than eight minutes on I just threw everything in
mountains. the general classification and yeah, from there on I
Denz, who rides for Bora- group on the toughest part thought, ‘I can maybe do
Hansgrohe, beat Toms of the stage, a second-cat- this.’”
Skujiņš and Sebastian Ber- egory climb 30 kilometers The rest of the breakaway Germany’s Nico Denz celebrates winning the 12th stage of
the Giro D’Italia, tour of Italy cycling race, from Bra to Rivoli,
wick at the end of the (20 miles) from the finish. rolled across the line two Thursday, May 18, 2023.
185-kilometer (115-mile) hill “The breakaway was defi- minutes, 20 seconds be- Associated Press
leg from Bra to Rivoli in the nitely hard to get in, and hind, around six minutes
Piedmont region. then the hardest moment ahead of the GC contend- lence before the start on race favorite Remco Eve-
The first stage win for Denz for me was the last climb, I ers. Thursday to honor those nepeol withdraw after test-
in his sixth Giro prompted was suffering so much and Thomas remained two affected by the flooding in ing positive for the corona-
the German to yell in joy af- I barely made it over the seconds ahead of Primož Emilia-Romagna. virus and Tao Geoghegan
ter crossing the line and put top,” Denz said. “But get- Roglič and 22 ahead of It was a quieter day in the Hart leave the race on a
his hands on his head as his ting there was also not so João Almeida. peloton after an eventful stretcher after a crash on
eyes appeared to tear up. easy. There was a minute of si- few days which saw pre- Wednesday.q