HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Devin Haney is demanding his paid dues. 

The undisputed lightweight champion Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) wants to make sure that he gets the proper credit that he deserves if he steps away victorious against Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) on May 20 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN+ pay-per-view. 

“Don't say [the 35-year-old] Loma is old. Now all of a sudden he is old because he's fighting me. A year ago he wasn't old and all of a sudden he got old overnight. Naw, it doesn't work like that. When I win, I want the world to give me my just due and acknowledge how great of a fighter I am,” Haney said in an interview with BoxingScene.com and other reporters.

“The Haney era is definitely around the corner. It's starting May 20. We're going to keep beating these guys one by one – line them up.” 

Haney and Lomachenko have been linked for a fight ever since 2019 when Haney picked up the WBC title Lomachenko once owned. Lomachenko was elevated to the designation of WBC franchise champion at the time, which originally made Haney a champion by default. 

Sanctioning body semantics created a turbulent path to world title respect for Haney until he twice beat George Kambosos Jr. in 2022. 

“I knew that I would be here one day, and the time has finally come,” said Haney. 

The 24-year-old, Las Vegas-based Haney also wants to make sure that he’s shortlisted as one of boxing’s best if he were to beat the former three-division champion and two-time Olympics gold medalist. 

“After this fight, the world will give me my just due and I will be high on the pound-for-pound list. I should be No. 1,” said Haney.  

Haney’s fight against Lomachenko will mark his third tilt tied to Top Rank. His promotional future after that remains unclear. 

Top Rank has a plethora of viable options for Haney to consider across the 135 and 140-pound divisions, but it will be up to Haney if he wants to seal any deals with Top Rank, or head in a different direction. 

“I love working with Top Rank and ESPN,” said Haney. “We have to see what's next. I love working with Bob Arum and Top Rank. They embraced me and treated me like family.” 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.