By Allan Fox: WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) has put together his shortlist of top fighters that he wants to fight at 135 before he moves up to 140. Unfortunately for Haney, his chances of fighting any of the guys that he wants to face are slim and none before he runs out of time at 135.
Haney will be fighting in March against mandatory Javier Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KOs). Once that fight is out of the way, Haney wants to see if he can get one of the names on his hit list.
These are the fighters Haney, 22, wants to face before he leaves the lightweight division;
- Vasiliy Lomachenko
- Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
- Ryan Garcia
- Teofimo Lopez
In theory, it should be easy for a popular fighter like Haney to make all those fights, but that’s not the case. For starters, WBA/WBC Franchise/WBO champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) is talking about wanting to leave the lightweight division after he faces Teofimo Lopez in April or May.
Loma is moving back down to 130, because he doesn’t view himself as a lightweight. Besides, the 31-year-old Lomachenko is starting to take punishment, and he’s not looking as great as he once did.
Devin will need to move up to 140 soon
All the fighters that Haney wants to face at lightweight aren’t about to fight him in 2020 or 2021. Although Ryan Garcia called out Haney on social media, along with Tank Davis, he’s not expected to go in his direction when he eventually challenges for a title. The end result is Haney will need to move up to 140 before any of those guys look his way.
Haney to fight in March
“In March I’ll be back inside the ring,” said Devin Haney to Fighthub. “I’ve got a mandatory, which is Javier Fortuna. “Right now we’re negotiating it, and it’s likely going to happen. I think we’re going to purse bid now. My team isn’t going to lose a purse bid. He’s very awkward, very tricky, and he’s a veteran.
“He sparred a lot of the top guys,” said Haney about Fortuna. “This is a fight that will give boxing fans a solid name on my resume, and they’ll respect me beating Javier Fortuna. Of course,” said Haney when asked if Vasiliy Lomachenko is the guy he wants.
“Not only Lomachenko, but the biggest fights,” said Haney in talking about the big fights he wants in 2020. “He’s #1 on the list because he has the belts. Then there’s a lot of other guys I could make big fights with. Ryan Garcia, Tank Davis, Teofimo. Big fights,” said Haney.
Lomachenko is the guy that Haney wants most of all, due to him having most of the belts. Loma could soon have the IBF belt, which is the last title not in his possession. To win that strap Lomachenko will need to defeat Teofimo. Although Lomachenko is the favorite in that fight, he could lose. but as far as Haney is concerned, he has little chance of getting a fight with Lomachenko.
Teofimo will be moving up to 140 soon, and he may do it after the Lomachenko fight. If he loses to Loma, there will be no reason for Teofimo to stay at 135. Haney’s best shot at beating Lopez is if he meets him at light welterweight in the future.
Haney to move up to 140 soon
“2021,” said Haney in giving the year he expects to fight Ryan Garcia. “We don’t know. I was talking to Mauricio about moving up to 140. Well, it’s not easy for me to make the 135-lb limit, and if I can’t get the big fights, what’s the point of me staying? Honestly, I can’t force anyone in the ring with me. I’ve been at 135 for a long time. It’s not easy at all, but I’ve been saying this before I had the world title.
“My mandatory is Javier Fortuna, and hopefully we can make that fight happen,” said Haney.”Then after that, make the biggest fights happen. If I can’t, then I’ll go up to 140. [Jose] Ramirez, Josh Taylor, big fights. I think he’s a good fighter,” said Haney when asked his view on Josh Taylor. “And I haven’t seen too much of him, to be honest. I seen the last couple of rounds of the Regis fight, and he looked pretty good.
“I sparred Ramirez. He’s good,” said Haney. “He showed he’s a true champ when he beat Maurice Hooker. I was like, ‘Yeah, okay, he’s good.’ Honestly, I didn’t see myself here this early. I was moving on the fast track, and I was hoping I’d get here. This is a dream come true. It’s crazy,” said Haney.
The way that Haney is talking, he doesn’t sound like he wants to stay at 135 beyond 2020, and you can’t blame him. The division is sectioned off with different champions with different promoters, none of which appear interested in making fights with the elite.
At least with Haney moving up to 140, he’ll possibly have a shot at fighting Jose Ramirez, Regis Prograis or Josh Taylor. Those guys will likely be moving up to 147 soon, so Haney will need to fight him before that happens.
Haney didn’t know much about last opponent
“I watched the fight one time,” said Haney about his recent win over Alfredo Santiago. “It was a good fight. A lot of people were doubting Santiago, and they were taking him lightly. They had me blowing him out of the water. I didn’t know much about him, and I didn’t know he was an Olympian. He had 170 something amateur fights or something like that. And he had more amateur fights than me.
“He was bigger, taller, older, and all that,” said Haney about Santiago. “But I went in there and got the job done. I think he felt my power early, and once he felt my power, he was just trying to survive to the 12th round but it all comes with it.
“I’m not mad at it at all, and I’m happy,” said Haney. “I got an MRI yesterday to make sure everything is good, and everything is alright. It just needs some time to heal. I had some tears inside, but nothing too major,” said Haney.
It’s surprising that Haney wasn’t briefed about the background of his last opponent Alfredo Santiago. Someone in Haney’s team dropped the ball, because they should have told him that Santiago a former Olympian with a lot of talent.
