Devin Haney Stays Unbeaten; More Controversy in a Las Vegas Ring

Las Vegas, NV –  Devin Haney, the youngest-ever undisputed champion in the four-belt era, successfully defended his title and advanced his ledger to 30-0 with a unanimous decision over Vasyl Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. The judges had it 116-112 and 115-113 twice. All three judges gave Haney the final round without which the bout would have ended in a draw. The crowd booed the decision and many of the fans left the arena in a state of disgruntlement.

Haney, who was conspicuously the bigger man, said that he was going to impose his will upon Loma. But Lomachenko (17-3) did his best work in the late stages of the fight, having his best rounds in rounds 10 and 11.

This was a tactical fight, as expected, but as tactical fights go, it was very entertaining. These were two top-notch ring artisans who delivered high-quality performances. There were many moments during the fight when Loma at age 35 was every bit the Loma of old.

Nakatani

In a match for the vacant WBO super flyweight title, undefeated Junto Nakatani scored a frightening 12^th-round knockout of Andrew Moloney who was hoping to join his twin brother Jason Moloney in the ranks of world title-holders. The end came at the 2:42 mark of the final stanza when Nakatani (25-0, 19 KOs) caught the Aussie with a sweeping left hook that landed right on the button. Moloney (25-3-1, 1 ND) was unconscious before he hit the canvas and was removed to a hospital for observation

This was the final bout preceding the three-bout PPV show. Moloney tried to get inside the rangy Nakatani and had good success in rounds six and seven, but he was fighting an uphill battle since the second round when Nakantani put him on the canvas with a right uppercut. One other knockdown would follow before the frightening punch that terminated the battle. Nakatani was making his second appearance in a U.S. ring after previously stopping Angel Acosta in four rounds at Tucson.

Oscar Valdez

The semi wind-up, a 10-round lightweight affair, was a rematch between Oscar Valdez, a former world champion at 126 and 130 pounds, and Adam “Blue Nose” Lopez. In the first meeting, on Nov. 30, 2019, Lopez took the fight on one day’s notice after Valdez’s opponent came in 11 pounds overweight. Lopez knocked Valdez down with a short left counter in round two, but Valdez came back and stopped Lopez in the seventh frame.

The rematch went the full “10” with Valdez winning by scores of 98-92, 98-91, and 97-93.

Valdez, who improved to 31-1, landed the crisper punches and was a rightful winner, but this was an entertaining clash and Lopez, the son of the late Hector Lopez, a 1984 Olympic silver medalist and three-time world title challenger, had his moments.

This was the first fight in 13 months for Valdez who suffered cracked ribs in a freak accident late last year. He ruined countryman Miguel Berchelt at this venue in 2021 in a big upset and is penciled in to fight Emanuel Navarette in his next start. The hard-trying Lopez declined to 16-5.

Muratalla

In the PPV opener, featherweight Raymond Muratalla turned in a career-best performance with a second-round blast-out of Namibia’s Jeremia Nakathila. Muratalla, one of two fighting brothers from the LA suburb of Fontana, pinned Nakathila against the ropes and cranked out a volley of 10 unanswered punches, forcing the stoppage.

It was a fast turnaround for Muratalla who got off the deck to stop unheralded Humberto Galindo seven weeks ago in Fresno. He improved his record to 18-0 with his 15^th knockout and after the fight made known his desire to fight the winner of Haney-Lomachenko. Nakathila, making his first start in 14 months after scoring a big upset over Miguel Berchelt, declined to 23-3.

Also, in a feisty 8-round middleweight affair, Nico Ali Walsh (8-0-1) remained unbeaten but suffered the first blemish on his ledger when he was held to a draw by Danny Rosenberger. A second-generation prizefighter from Youngstown, Ohio, the 33-year-old Rosenberger (13-9-5) entered the contest riding a 7-fight winning streak.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images

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