By Dan Ambrose: Devin Haney brands IBF lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez as a “liar,” and he doesn’t believe that he or his management attempted to call his team to set-up a fight like he says he did.
WBC 135-pound champion Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) would still like to fight Teofimo (15-0, 12 KOs), and he says he’s ready to make that fight if his management contacts his team.
After hearing no response from Haney and his promoter Eddie Hearn, Teofimo has moved on from that fight, and he intends on facing WBA/WBC/WBO champion Vasiliy Lomachenko next later this year.
Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) is a much bigger fight for Teofimo than him facing the still unproven Haney, who was given the WBC 135-pound title outside of the ring.
Haney says he would also like to face Ryan Garcia, and he views a clash between them as bigger than a world title fight. Unfortunately for Haney, Ryan probably won’t face him next, as he could be taking on former three-division world champion Jorge Linares.
If not Linares, then Ryan will take a stay-busy match against one of the lower-ranked fighters.
Haney: Floyd Mayweather can come back
“He should worry about himself,” said Haney to IFL TV in reacting to Gervonta Davis’ comments. “What I’m doing has nothing to do with him. What Floyd and I have going on has nothing to do with him.
“I knew Floyd before Gervonta even knew Floyd. Our relationship has been going on for many years. I first knew Floyd when I was nine-years-old. He has someone that he’s going to fight next in Leo Santa Cruz. He should be focused on what he’s doing.
“What I’m doing shouldn’t worry him. I don’t know. We haven’t spoken about that,” said Haney when asked if Mayweather will be making a comeback to boxing. “Is he in shape to come back? Of course. We train for so long, and we go 30 to 40 minutes on the pads straight.
“Could Floyd come back? Of course. Just with his IQ he has, I think he could come back. Will he? I don’t know,” said Haney.
Devin and Mayweather have been working out lately on the mitts, and that seems to have upset WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. He commented recently on social media, and he didn’t seem too happy about it.
Floyd Mayweather Jr’s recent gym workouts have drawn speculation that he could be returning to the ring, but he’s already come out to say that he’s not going to do that. If the 43-year-old Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) does come back, it’ll be for “entertainment” purposes against a non-boxer.
Mayweather can probably still beat the MMA guys easily, which is why it’s hard to agree with him that these fights are “entertaining.” They’re more like junk food.
Devin calls Teofimo Lopez a liar
“I saw the interview where he said he sent an e-mail, but he doesn’t know who he sent the e-mail to, and he’s not sure,” said Haney about Teofimo Lopez e-mailing to ask for a fight against him. “Look, he had 24 hours to send an e-mail to the right person.
“He could contact my dad, my manager, or he could contact Eddie Hearn, my promoter. He has 24 hours. If not, then we’re going to know that he’s lying, and if not, we can give him the name Pinocchio.
“He’s a liar. He never sent an e-mail, and he never sent an offer. After all these days, I still haven’t gotten an offer. That guy is crazy. He’s really messed up. I think the quarantine is getting to his head, and there’s something wrong with him.
“He’s lying to the world. Show the receipts. I want him to go on the Internet and show the receipts of him contacting Eddie Hearn or him contacting my dad or him contacting us. I want him to show. If not, then I’m going to call him Pinocchio from this point on if he doesn’t send it within 24 hours,” said Haney.
That seems kind of strange is that Haney thinks Teofimo is lying about wanting to put together a fight against him. At the same time, Haney doesn’t appear to be interested in making that fight happen.
If Haney wanted that fight, he would tell his promoter, Eddie Hearn, to contact Teofimo’s promoters at Top Rank to make that match happen, but he’s not doing that.
Lomachenko will beat Teofimo predicts Haney
“If he’s fighting Lomachenko, I don’t know,” said Haney in doubting whether Teofimo is fighting Lomachenko next. “This guy lies so much,” said Haney when asked if he gives Teofimo a chance of beating Lomachenko. I don’t believe anything he says. And I don’t know who he’s fighting at this point.
“I don’t know if the fight is on. He lies so much, and I don’t believe anything he says. Of course, I’ll fight Teofimo, or I’ll fight the winner. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make any difference to me. If the [Lomachenko vs. Teofimo] fight happens, of course, I give him a chance because this is boxing. I’m real.
“Anything can happen in the sport of boxing. Is it going to be tough for him to win? Yes, everyone knows that. Of course, it’s boxing. Anything can happen, but I do see Loma beating him,” said Haney in predicting a win for Lomachenko over Teofimo.
Haney, 21, has an opinion on the Lomachenko-Teofimo fight just like everybody, but it doesn’t mean much. If Teofimo wins that fight, Haney will look silly for his prediction.
With Teofimo’s size and punching power, he’s got the tools to defeat the aging Lomachenko. The Ukrainian fighter is getting old, and he’s not looked good for the last couple of years. The last impressive performance by Lomachenko was his victory over Anthony Crolla in 2019, but that was against a paper champion.
Devin wants Ryan Garcia fight
“That’s a huge fight. A lot of people would love to see that fight,” said Haney about a match between him and Ryan Garcia. “That fight is even bigger than a lot of the world title fights to be made. So I’ll take that fight.
“I’m willing to fight the top guys. I’m not ducking or dodging anybody. People say Teofimo called me out. I called him out first. Me and Teofimo were in a tournament together.
“We could have easily have fought. He went the opposite way. I didn’t. I was willing to fight, and I want to fight Loma. And I want to make these big fights happen. I want to be known as the next Devin Haney.
“Floyd changed the game. I plan on changing the game as well. He did it his way, and I’m going to do it my way. But I’m going to learn from a great like Floyd. I won’t be in the smaller weight classes for too much longer, and that’s why I’m trying to make these big fights happen. I know I won’t be here much longer,” said Haney.
If Haney is serious about moving up to 140 soon, then he needs to tell Hearn to exhaust every effort in trying to match him against Ryan Garcia. Once Haney moves up to 140, it’s going to be more challenging to put together a fight between him and Ryan.
Haney talks about his race statement
“I could see how they would take it a certain way, and that’s why I came out and said that I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” said Haney in talking about his comment he made recently that he would “never” lose to a white boy.
“I feel like no one can beat me, no matter what race. Race has nothing to do with it. I’m going to beat anyone they put me in the ring with, no matter the race. I learned from it. Now I’m pushing past it.
“I’m back to where I was in the first place,” said Haney about him being reinstated as the WBC lightweight champion. “I shouldn’t have been stripped in the first place. I was Champion in Recess. Now I’m back as full WBC champion, and I’m ready to make the big fights happen.
Teofimo can say what he wants. He was in the [WBC] tournament, and we could have fought. He went the opposite way, and I pushed past him. Now I’m a world champion. If he wants to unify, I’ll be happy to unify in my next fight,” said Haney.
It’s going to be difficult for Haney to make boxing fans forget about his comment about how he would never lose to a “white boy.” It’s one of those things where Haney will need to stick around for a long time and be careful about what he says from now on. The newer fans that come along won’t be aware of Haney’s past comments, so it’ll be less of an issue as it is now.
