“The thing that happened in that fight is because I made the choice to be in Japan and training in Japan full-time due to the corona [virus]. I didn’t have any similar fighter like him. The primary round to the fifth round I didn’t do anything since the jab was a bit annoying. But after I touched him, I used to be very near ending the fight by KO. He was more smart than me. He listened to the corner. He began running. That’s why he win the fight,” said Linares to YSM Sports Media about his fight with Haney.
Bill Haney quickly answered on X.
“Jorge, pull your skirt down and live with that ass whooping.
“Have some respect for yourself. We gave you a chance, you blew it, and we capitalized.
“How for much longer are you going to hate? 😅”
Linares also said he asked for a rematch after losing the choice but claimed it never materialized. Looking back, he maintains he understands the mistakes he made and still feels higher preparation would have produced a unique consequence.
Haney defended his WBC lightweight title against Linares on May 29, 2021, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Linares staggered Haney with a right hand within the tenth round, pressing the motion after the punch landed. Haney responded by clinching repeatedly through the closing rounds while protecting the lead he had built on the scorecards.
The judges awarded Haney a unanimous decision by scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 115-113. Five years later, Linares still feels the competition slipped away due to preparation reasonably than ability. Bill Haney sees it much in another way, viewing the most recent comments as one other attempt to clarify away a defeat that has long been settled.
