Devin Haney’s uncertain face said it all.
After going 12 arduous rounds with Vasiliy Lomachenko last month, the 24-year-old sported a swollen lip, a few bruises around his eyes, and was forced to wait several anxious inducing minutes while the three judges sitting ringside turned in their scorecards.
Unsure of what to expect, Haney let out a gigantic scream when he was officially given the decision. With the undisputed lightweight crown remaining in his possession, Haney, while celebrating, had no idea that there was another fighter who was sitting in attendance scooping him out and rubbing his hands.
Jamaine Ortiz, a highly-ranked contender who once shared the ring with Lomachenko, looked over his notes and juxtaposed them to what he wrote down a few years ago. Although many are now claiming that Haney was essentially exposed, Ortiz screws up his face and indicates that everyone else is playing catch up. According to the longtime 135-pound contender, Haney has always been an incredibly flawed fighter.
“I been seeing things that I can capitalize on five years ago on Devin Haney,” Ortiz told BoxingScene.com. “Ain’t nothing changed for me.”
With his scouting mission behind him, Ortiz will attempt to rejoin the winner’s circle and wipe away the rust when he takes on Humberto Galindo. A win, at least in Ortiz’s mind, should be enough to put him at the doorstep of Haney and a world title shot.
In 30 career bouts, fighters have bragged, boasted, and promised to introduce Haney to the feeling of defeat. But while those previous fighters have come up woefully short, Ortiz simply believes that he’s cut from a different cloth.
At the moment, the lightweight division isn’t short on talent. When Ortiz looks to his right, he notices Shakur Stevenson, to his left stands Gervonta Davis. If he opts to keep his head straight and march a straight line, Ortiz will eventually run into Frank Martin. With his adrenaline pumping, Ortiz indicates that he has no issue facing every top dog in the lightweight division. But when asked who he considers a relatively soft touch, Ortiz quickly pointed to the man who presides over the weight class with all of the championship hardware.
“I would say that Devin Haney is the easiest for me. Styles make fights. He’s a great fighter but I’m just gonna be better.”