By Norm Frauenheim –
LAS VEGAS – Waist-high chess pieces decorate a media room that includes posters that have Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko standing on a checker board.
It’s a good way to sell a game.
But now there’s a shove that reminds us it’s not.
It’s a fight.
At a so-called ceremonial weigh-in Friday at the MGM Grand, Haney went off script and perhaps out of character, shoving Lomachenko halfway across the stage and into the arms of his handlers.
It’s a good thing they were there. They caught him before momentum from the shove might have sent the Ukrainian tumbling off the stage and onto the floor.
Lomachenko, who underwent shoulder surgery a couple of years ago, could have been hurt, perhaps badly enough to jeopardize an ESPN+ pay-per-view bout ($59.99) Saturday night (7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET) for the undisputed lightweight title.
He wasn’t. There was no injury. Instead, there was a smile. For Lomachenko, the shove was a sign.
“Because he’s mine,’’ said Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs), a betting underdog who was suddenly sounding more confident than ever at his chance of upsetting the bigger Haney (29-0, 15 KOs). “Now, he’s mine.’’
Interpreting a shove is little bit like trying to read tea leaves. Who knows? At 24, Haney is still maturing. He’s unbeaten. He has all four of the relevant 135-pound belts. He’s a young fighter, known for his poise and discipline. Nobody ever foresaw a shove. But he’s never been on the sport’s biggest stage.
Until now.
For the clever, accomplished Lomachenko, it was a sign that Haney can’t withstand the pressure.
“Because he’s scared,’’ Lomachenko said. “He’s scared.’’
Predictably, Haney had his own interpretation. The shove was an introduction. He described it as the opening gesture in the next chapter to his unfolding career.
“The time has finally come,’’ said Haney, who was at 134.9 pounds, a tenth of a pound heavier than Lomachenko, in the official weigh-in about seven hours before the headline-making shove. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s been four years. I’ve always dreamed of, you know, facing off with him.
‘’…That was just the start. You see how easy I pushed him? He’s a smaller man and I’m gonna impose my will on him.
“It’s about legacy. This is a dream for me. You know, I’ve been wanting this fight for a long, long time. And it’s finally here.
“I cannot wait to show how great Devin Haney is. This is a fight that will bring out my greatness.”
The unscripted moment happened during the ritual face-off for the cameras. First, Haney started talking trash. Then suddenly, he placed his hands on Lomachenko — one on each shoulder — and pushed with power that needed no interpretation.
On this chessboard, more violence looms.
Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images
