LAS VEGAS – Vasiliy Lomachaneko’s manager claimed his fighter was “robbed” by the judges of his fan-friendly fight with Devin Haney.
Egis Klimas intends to file a protest with the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the scoring of Lomachenko’s loss to Haney in their 12-round lightweight title fight Saturday night. All three judges scored what was a very competitive, back-and-forth fight for Haney (30-0, 15 KOs), who retained his IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 135-pound crowns in an ESPN Pay-Per-View main event at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Judge Dave Moretti scored eight rounds for Haney (116-112), who won seven rounds apiece on the cards of judges Tim Cheatham (115-113) and David Sutherland (115-113).
“I’m gonna say it just like it is,” Klimas said during the post-fight press conference. “This is the biggest robbery in the middle of the day. For [Haney’s] team, Christmas came in the summer. And we’re not gonna let it go. I guarantee we’re gonna protest. I guarantee we’re gonna appeal that decision because somebody needs to end this injustice. Somebody needs boxing to be put in the place where it has to be. And it has to be a justice because those judges, when they [are] scoring a completely insane score, they do not understand how those fighters are working hard to get into the place [to get the fight].
“And then being robbed like that, it’s not acceptable. And I guarantee we’re not gonna let it go. We’re gonna go all the way to the end to appeal and to – maybe we’re not gonna win. Maybe it’s gonna be as it is. Most likely, it’s gonna be that. But we want to show [there] has to be justice.”
Klimas revealed that he tried to have Moretti removed from the pool of potential judges for the fight. He was told, presumably by NSAC executive director Jeff Mullen, that Moretti is one of the “best judges” that the Nevada commission assigns to fights.
Moretti scored Haney a wider winner than Cheatham or Moretti. He also credited Haney for winning the 10th round, which appeared to be a round clearly won by Ukraine’s Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs).
Bob Arum, Lomachenko’s longtime promoter and the co-promoter of Haney’s past three fights, declined to give his opinion of the judges’ scorecards.
“I’m a promoter,” Arum said during the press conference. “I’m not a judge. But, you know, everybody around me scored, you know, all the fans around me, who were neutral, thought it was a pretty one-sided fight for Lomachenko. So, everybody was stunned when the judges’ scorecards were read. I’m not gonna comment myself because I’m the promoter and that would be wrong.”
