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♟️ Chess Not Checkers
The Fight Team
May 19, 2023
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Fight With Teddy Atlas Newsletter, your one stop shop for all things combat sports related, brought to you by Teddy and The Fight team.
Every Friday We Bring You:
A combat sports news digest with all the headlines you need to know from Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.
Highlights from the podcast and across the fight world.
Fight times and information you need to know ahead of time.
How to’s and tips for Boxing from Teddy himself.
Fight News From Around The 🌍
Last Chance Loma?
4 years ago, it was then interim WBC champion Devin Haney who was Lomachenko for a fight, hungry for a shot at a fighter who was considered the #1 pound for pound boxer in the sport.
Now, the tables have very much turned. Haney is the one with all the belts, something Loma failed to achieve following his loss to Teofimo Lopez back in 2020.
Haney beat the man who beat the man in George Kambosos Jr, besting him twice in a row in consecutive dominant unanimous decision to become the man at 135 lbs.
The belts put a target on your head, and Loma has set his sights on the young Haney to fulfil his dream of holding all of the belts at lightweight. Following his defeat to Teofimo, he could have easily dropped back down closer to his natural weight at super-featherweight and finished out his illustrious career there.
But it’s a testament to his elite mentality that Loma refuses to give up on his goal, even if it puts him in the unfamiliar position of coming in as an underdog against the undefeated and super talented Haney, who is bigger and longer than the 35 year old Ukrainian.
For Haney, a win over a pound for pound level talent in Loma will be the marquee win he needs as undisputed champ, and it’d put him in a great position to pursue fights with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Tank Davis, who will be keen to challenge themselves against him.
Both of these men are elite boxers with very high boxing IQs, so it’ll be a fantastic fight for the real fans of the sweet science of giving out punishment whilst receiving the minimum in return.
On Saturday night, we’ll find if it’s the young champion that stays undisputed, or if the older challenger can roll back the years and show why he is still one of the most talented boxers we’ve seen in the modern era.
What to look for in the fight:
Body attack. Loma’s body work is very underrated, and he has a lot of body to target with the longer, leaner Haney. Look for him to go to work on Haney early on and pick up the pace upstairs past the 6th round.
Straight right. Haney’s jab is rightly being touted as his biggest weapon, but he also has a great straight right hand. Look for him to use and break Loma’s rhythm when he resets in the southpaw stance.
Don’t take our word for it, if you want more insights into the big fight, check out the Fight Plan that Teddy and Ken did at the Trinity Boxing Club in NYC below.
Odds (via MyBookie.AG)
🇮🇪 Homecoming Queen
Katie Taylor, the undisputed lightweight champion, will move up to the 140-pound weight class in an attempt to go double undisputed. On Saturday, she will face Chantelle Cameron, the reigning queen of the 140-pound division, in a highly anticipated spectacle in Dublin, in what will be Taylors first pro fight back home in Ireland.
Even though she’s been in several tough, close fights recently, most notably the Amanda Serrano fight last year, Taylor is odds on favourite here for a good reason.
She’s technically outstanding and has a will to win that has seen her come through incredible adversity in fights to still emerge victorious each time.
Now Cameron will be no walkover. Her victory against Jessica McCaskill proved her ability to compete at world level, and she comes into this fight with the youth and size advantage.
However, the special talents always find a way to get it done, and we suspect that Katie Taylor will prove why she is arguably the greatest Irish athlete of her generation and one of the best outright boxers in the world.
Fight ⏰ for this weekend
Boxing: Haney vs Lomachenko (Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific | Main Event: 12am Eastern/ 9pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 3am | Main Event: 5am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 12pm Eastern/ 10am Western | Main event: 2pm Eastern/ 12pm Western
Boxing: Taylor vs Cameron (Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 3pm Eastern/ 12pm Pacific | Main Event: 5pm Eastern/ 2pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 8pm | Main Event: 10pm
🇦🇺 Full Card: 5am Eastern/ 3am Western | Main event: 7am Eastern/ 5am Western