By Chris Williams: Interim WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney (23-0, 15 KOs) has been confirmed by his Matchroom Boxing USA promoter Eddie Hearn to be fighting next month on November 9 on the DAZN card headlined by Logan Paul vs. KSI at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Devin Haney in stay busy fight
Haney’s potential opponent is 2nd tier prospect Hector Tanajara (18-0, 5 KOs), according to Dan Rafael. This is a fight that has mismatch written all over it. Haney, 20, is one of the best fighters in the 135-pound division.
In contrast, Tanajara is a light hitting prospect, who hasn’t yet faced anyone of note during his short four-year professional career. Even to be fighting for the interim World Boxing Council lightweight title, Tanajara is undeserving.
It’s unknown why Haney will be defending a fighter that isn’t ranked in the top 15 by any of the 4 sanctioning bodies. Perhaps this is all Haney’s promoter Hearn could dig up for him on short notice.
The 22-year-old Tanajara has been mentioned in the past by lightweight contender Ryan Garcia as a possible opponent for him, but whatever reasons the two haven’t fought.
Haney is coming off of a brilliant 4th round knockout victory over #1 WBC Zaur Abdullaev (11-1, 7 KOs) last month on DAZN on September 13th on a Matchroom card at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight was supposed to be competitive, but Haney tore through the 25-year-old Russian Abdullaev like he was butter.
Haney wants title shot against Lomachenko
Devin is the mandatory for WBC lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. He wants to fight Loma but his promoters at Top Rank are planning on matching him against the Richard Commey vs. Teofimo Lopez winner.
If Lomachenko beats the Commey-Lopez winner, he’ll be the unified lightweight champion. He then is supposed to be vacating all four of his 135-lb titles, and moving back down to 130, a division he previously used to fight at.
Haney fighting on the undercard of KSI-Logan Paul
It’s a strange career move on Haney’s part for him to be fighting on the undercard of the Youtube celebrities KSI and Logan Paul, as those aren’t boxers. They’re just two guys that talk on their Youtube channels to their many followers.
KSI and Logan Paul are making their professional debuts despite the fact that neither has ever fought in the amateurs. What can you compare this to? It’s like having an NFL team playing second-billing a flag football team of guys rounded in at the nearest park. Haney obviously deserves better than this.
“November 9 is when the world will see me back inside the ring,” said Haney to DAZN last Saturday night. “I didn’t take any punishment in my last fight. I feel great, and I’m back in the gym. On November 9th, I’ll look to put on another great performance. The people that are there are going to be seeing me for the first time, and I’m happy for that. It’s a whole new fan base.
“It’s a whole new set of fans, and a lot more fans for me to gain. Fighting on that card, I can gain a lot, and I will gain a lot,” said Haney.
Haney hoping for great performance on November 9
“Of course, a knockout is the best way to win in boxing, and after a crazy knockout like that, it was like a drug,” said Haney. “I wanted it again. Going into my last fight, I was eager to get a knockout. I didn’t get a spectacular knockout like that, but I got a TKO win, and I’m happy with that. In each of my fights, I want to show that I’m getting better and better. On November 9th, I’m looking to put on another great performance. Hopefully it’s another devastating like the one before.
“The shot that I hit Antonio Moran with is a shot that I’ve worked on over the years multiple times in the gym, and it just worked perfectly in the fight,” said Haney.
If Haney is fighting Tanajara, he’s got an excellent chance of putting on a great performance. Tanajara has very little power to keep Haney off of him. We could see another Haney-Adullaev level performance by Devin, but unfortunately it probably won’t be competitive.
WBC could make Haney regular champion
“As of now, we’re waiting for the WBC to make their ruling,” said Haney. “Either they’re going to make Lomachenko the [WBC] Franchise champion and make me the WBC regular champion or they’re going to mandate the fight. As of now, we don’t really know.
“We’re just waiting to see. Towards the end of this month, we’ll see the decision they’re going to make. But if they make me the world champion, I’m happy with that. If they make the fight, I’m happy with that. All I want to do is become world champion. The interim world title got me one step closer to where I want to be, so I’m happy with that. But if I can’t get Lomachenko, and I become world, that’s okay.
It’s believed that the WBC is poised to make Lomachenko their WBC Franchise champion. Loma may or may not like receiving that tag by the WBC, but if they don’t do that, then Lomachenko may have to face Haney. That’s a risky fight for the 31-year-old Lomachenko, because he’s getting old now.
Devin targeting Ryan Garcia match
“That’s a great fight,” said Haney about a match between him and Ryan Garcia. “We’ve been talking about that fight for a while now, and hopefully we can make that fight happen sooner or later. That’s a fight that we would love to have. If the fight happens, I see myself victorious and winning in fashion,” said Haney about a future match against Garcia.
Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) isn’t expected to face Haney anytime soon. If that fight does eventually take place, it won’t be for 3 to 4 years. Haney won’t sit around the lightweight division waiting on Garcia fight. If Golden Boy Promotions don’t want to make the fight in the near future, Haney will move up to 140, and they’ll lose out on their chance.
Haney is ready to fight Garcia right now, but Golden Boy isn’t going to make that fight for obvious reasons. The 21-year-old Ryan isn’t ready, even though he’s slightly older than Haney. He’s not as developed as a professional.
👋 @RealDevinHaney#GGGDerevyanchenko pic.twitter.com/nx9WVQBBrn
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) October 6, 2019
