By Dan Ambrose: Devin Haney posted on social media on Wednesday in sending out a duck message to Adrien Broner, Vasily Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Teofimo Lopez, and Ryan Garcia.
Haney didn’t include Shakur Stevenson on his list, which could mean that he doesn’t want any smoke from him.
Haney (24-0, 15 KO) also included Robert Easter Jr and Javier Fortuna to that list. The WBC lightweight champion Haney cast a wide net, grouping ALL the top lightweights in as supposedly ducking a fight against him.
What’s disappointing is that Haney’s chances of fighting guys like Lomachenko and Teofimo are slim. Likewise, Haney has little chance of fighting Adrien Broner despite the recent back and forth trash-talking between the two on social media.
Haney hasn’t fought anyone in his career, and he’s starting to come across as like he’s overconfident, given what little he’s achieved. If this is the way that Haney is now with his empty record, what is he going to be like when he finally does have wins over solid fighters?
Haney still an unproven champion
Without proof of all these fighters avoiding Haney, you have to go on belief alone that they want no part of him. Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine Lomachenko, Teofimo, and Tank Davis avoiding Haney because those are all solid fighters with talent. Moreover, they hit harder than Haney, and some of them have better hand speed.
Whatever argument that Haney may have about him being ducked by seven different fighters, the fact that he was elevated to WBC 135lb champion via email undermines him. It makes him look like an illegitimate belt holder.
Haney didn’t have to beat anyone to become the WBC lightweight champion, and that’s hurt his popularity. When a fighter is made champion through email like Haney, it prevents them from winning over fans that would jump on board if they saw him win the title.
Haney, 21, wants a big name to fight him, but the timing isn’t right for that to happen in 2020. He’s not as well known as Leo Santa Cruz, Lomachenko, and Tank Davis. Further, Devin isn’t as famous as fighters like Ryan Garcia, Broner, and Teofimo.
Haney hurts his tough-guy causes by looking to face 38-year-old Yuriorkis Gamboa rather than one of the fighters on his duck list. Gamboa lost his last fight to Tank Davis and injured his right Achilles.
It doesn’t look right in the eyes of the boxing public for Haney to be looking to face Gamboa after what the Cuban fighter just went through last December.