Devin Haney delivers KO of the Year candidate in win over Antonio Moran

Mark Lelinwalla

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Devin Haney delivers KO of the Year candidate in win over Antonio Moran image

Devin Haney made sure that one of the most violent knockouts you'll ever see came during his main event debut on DAZN.

Haney outclassed Antonio Moran in every aspect of boxing before unloading a vicious overhand right that connected flush on Moran’s chin for a seventh-round KO at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., on Saturday. The KO instantly became a frontrunner for Knockout of the Year — it was that scintillating. 

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Haney dominated the fight by using his speed, precision and crisp punching to look every bit like a superstar in the making. Late in the seventh round, the 20-year-old Haney unleashed a short right hook to the body to set up that brutal overhand right that instantly crumpled Moran to the canvas.

The KO was so definitive that the referee didn't even bother to register a count, ending the action upon the punch's impact. Moran required medical attention for several minutes after the fight.

"Coming into this fight, I wanted to make a statement," Haney said during his postfight interview in the ring. "There was a lot of rumors that said I didn't have punching power and that I couldn't knock guys out. But as you see, I can.

"One thing my dad always tells me is, when you get a guy hurt, go to the body," Haney continued, "so I went to the body and then I went over the top. I knew when it landed and his facial expression that he was out."

Before Haney (22-0, 14 KOs) landed the KO, he dropped Moran with a right hook to the body in the fifth round, although the replay showed that Haney stepped on his opponent's right foot and thus the knockdown should not have been ruled as such. Still, the end came two rounds later as "The Dream" put the lightweight division on notice in a major way.

After the fight, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said that fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis, Teofimo Lopez and Ryan Garcia are on the horizon for Haney in the coming years.

Until then, Hearn said, "The whole United States needs to get behind Devin Haney. This kid's a superstar."

Here's how the rest of Haney-Moran went.

Co-main event: Filip Hrgovic destroys Gregory Corbin via first-round TKO; heavyweights

Well, that was fast. Hrgovic caught Corbin with a short, scraping overhand right that dropped Corbin flat on his back with a thud. Although Corbin did beat the count, his legs were shaky and he was clearly wobbled enough for the referee to stop the action right then and there a minute into the fight. An emphatic TKO, to say the least.

With the win, the Croatian heavyweight improves to 8-0, including six knockouts.

Michael Hunter flattens Fabio Maldonado by second-round TKO; heavyweights

A barrage of punches sent Maldonado spiraling down to the canvas for a second-round from which Maldonado never really recovered. Hunter zeroed in on a wobbly Maldonado as he was against the ropes and hit him with a flurry of punches until the referee stopped the fight.

Hunter said after the win that if he can’t get Anthony Joshua, then he would like to fight Dillian Whyte next.

Undercard

Jessica McCaskill def. Anahi Sanchez by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-94) to become unified WBA/WBC super lightweight women’s champion

Sanchez landed counterpunches all night and did more than enough to win this brawl, but the judges didn’t see it that way at all as McCaskill won across the board. McCaskill had a solid ninth and 10th round and had her moments in the fight, but SN thought that Sanchez landed enough power shots via counterpunching to have her hand raised. The 99-91 and 98-92 scores were ridiculous; even McCaskill said that the scorecards were "drastic."

  • Daniyar Yeleussinov def. Miguel Zamudio via unanimous decision; welterweights
  • Lorenzo Simpson def. Rafael Garcia by first-round TKO; middleweights

Mark Lelinwalla

Mark Lelinwalla Photo

Mark Lelinwalla is a contributing writer and editor for DAZN News. He has written for the likes of the New York Daily News, Men's Health, The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Complex, XXL and Vibe Magazine.