- 1,612
- 9
- 38
"You can't not say that Haney is the number one because he's the man who beat the man and beat Kambosos convincingly both times. However do I think he beats Lomachenko? No, I don't," Crolla said.
"I think Haney's a very, very good fighter. I feel like he took Kambosos apart pretty well both times, in different ways really and Kambosos is a handful for anyone. You can't say Kambosos got lucky against a weight-beaten [Teofimo] Lopez because he still had to come through the fire that night."
But the man gathering momentum in his rise might just be Newark's Shakur Stevenson.
"I believe it's about timing," Crolla said. "As the time comes on does it become more favourable for Shakur Stevenson? Because I believe in Shakur Stevenson we've got a very special fighter and a future Hall of Famer.
"The way that he's gone about his business lately, I think the [Oscar] Valdez fight was impressive the way he beat him up really for 12 rounds in every department. I think he's so clever. I love his attitude where no one else calls Lomachenko, out but he does.
"I'd probably tip Lomachenko to beat any of them but the heir to the throne, and depending on how long it takes for that fight to come about, Shakur Stevenson might be the man."
Adam Smith, head of boxing development at Sky Sports, said, "It's a fantastic division, looking forward to Loma's return, who I think naturally is probably the best. Devin Haney yet to be fully tested but I love what I've seen since he was 11, when I saw him in the Mayweather gym.
"Shakur Stevenson I think is unbelievable, I think he's going to be a pound-for-pound king. Love Gervonta Davis' attacking style, Ryan Garcia's social climb, like a young Oscar [De La Hoya].
"I think it's just a wonderful collection of fantastic fighters in a classic division. So I can't wait for them all to mix it up in 2023. We need to see those fights. In many ways, it's the best division in boxing."
There inevitably is only one way to settle the question. They all must fight. It has to happen.