Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko haven’t really settled into theirs Title fight up to 135 pounds last Saturday in Las Vegas.
Haney, the undisputed champion, won via unanimous decision, but the public was certainly not unanimous as many fans and pundits felt that Lomachenko had been robbed.
But where do their performances and score leave Haney and Lomachenko among the top lightweights?
Here is Boxing Junkie’s Top 5 135-pound list (in reverse order).
Know. 5. Frank Martin (17-0, 12 KOs)
I’m rolling the dice a bit with this choice because Martin is still in the process of testing himself. Isaac Cruz and William Zepeda probably have better resumes than Martin. I just see something special about the 28-year-old from Indianapolis, all the qualities of a guy who could one day climb the charts pound for pound. He had a big breakthrough in his last fight, a wide decision over the previously undefeated Michel Rivera in December. That’s why I’m happy with him here. And he’s just getting started.
No. 4. Devin Haney (30-0, 15 KOs)
I feel a bit uncomfortable placing him in 4th place considering he is the undisputed champion and just overtook Lomachenko, but I think it belongs to him now. He is an excellent athlete and boxer, which he showed on Saturday. And as it has also shown, it is still developing. He needs to find out why he withered on the episode. It nearly cost him the fight and all the belts. He will learn. I believe Haney will only get better. And that might not be good news for future opponents, possibly at 140 pounds.
NO. 3. Vasily Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs)
Lomachenko proved that he still has it. He may not have been what he was at his peak, but to me he looked damn good against Haney. Watch 11p over and over again. It was classic Lomachenko, he at his best. It seemed obvious to me that he was still fast, still athletic, still one of the most talented active boxers. No one has better footwork when moving. I have to admit the elephant in the room: 37 years old. I don’t know how many more elite performances he has in him. However, for one night, in a clash with Haney, he came close to being the old Lomachen.
No. 2. Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs)
I think Stevenson may be the most talented boxer in the sport, although I don’t think Lomachenko, Haney and Gervonta Davis are far behind. He’s the closest to Floyd Mayweather I’ve seen since Mayweather was in his prime. He is such a good boxer that he seems to be in total control all the time. He wins every second of every round. He is almost impossible to hit cleanly and does a lot of offense to win rounds. He’s not a great puncher, but he has enough power to keep his opponents honest. And sometimes you can be great without it.
NO. 1 Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs)
It’s really 1A and 1B with Davis and Stevenson, but I have a soft spot for Davis because of his power that none of the others have. If Stevenson is a better technician than Davis, it’s not much. And the power disparity is significant. This is another way to say that Davis is the most complete player in the division and one of the most complete in the sport. He’s fast, athletic, agile, smart, tough and can finish any fight – anyone – in an instant.
I want to add one more thing here: we all hope that the best 135-pounds will settle this matter in the ring. We could have a series of exciting, epic fights in the division.
