Devin Haney waiting for Gary Russell Jr to sign contract

By Boxing News - 09/09/2020 - Comments

By Chris Williams: Devin Haney and his dad Bill are waiting for Gary Russell Jr to look over the offer they’ve sent to him, sign it and send it back to them so they can begin training for the fight.

Devin (24-0, 15 KOs) is mostly still doubtful that Russell Jr (31-1, 18 KOs) will take the fight with him even though he’s the one that has been pushing for it. He remains skeptical about Russell’s true intentions behind calling him out.

WBC lightweight champion Haney thinks Russell Jr is just talking to get attention from the boxing media by calling out different fighters well above his weight class at 126.

WBC featherweight champion Russell  Jr seems deadly serious about wanting to take the fight with Haney, as he’s hoping to get a second bout this year.

Usually, Russell Jr fights once a year, but he wants to increase that to get more significant matches. He already tried to get a match against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, but he wasn’t interested.

Image: Devin Haney waiting for Gary Russell Jr to sign contract

Haney doubts Russell Jr is serious

“Gary Russell has everything he said wanted on Instagram live,” said Bill Haney to Fighthype. “Factually, that’s what we sent. His brother confirmed that’s what we sent over, and he also affirmed that we would be getting a signature soon.

“If Gary Russell sent back the offer right now, we’d start working out again. As you can see, we’re ready.

“This ain’t no play s*** with us. Everything that Gary Russell has asked for publicly, we’ve delivered to him.

When Devin gets done whooping his a**, I thought I would extend for him to come over here, but really it’s not. We got killers over here.”

“He’s been champion longer than I’ve been pro,” said Devin Haney about Russell Jr. “Of course, I feel like it’s a good fight for me. I’ve been calling out the top guys time and time again, and finally, we get a big name if he takes the fight,” said Haney.

Russell Jr has never been the type of person to call out fighters in the past and not fight them. In the case of Crawford, Russell Jr wasn’t calling him out initially. He was interviewed, and he remarked Crawford. That led to Crawford firing back at him. The next thing you know it, Russell Jr called Crawford out.

Devin needs to stop worrying so much and start training because he’s going to need to be in shape for the Russell fight.

Image: Devin Haney waiting for Gary Russell Jr to sign contract

Gamboa and Russell Jr on the same level?

“I just think he’s full of cap, and that he really doesn’t want the fight,” Haney said in stressing about whether Gary Jr will sign the contract. “We shall see in the next day or so because it shouldn’t take that long to sign the contract.

“Everything he asked for, we gave to him, so there shouldn’t be much to go over. He could have been signed it already. That’s why I think he’s full of cap and he’s doing it for attention, but we got to see.

“I think it’s cap, and that’s why I call him ‘Mr. Cap,’ because all he’s done up to this point is cap,” said Haney when asked his thoughts on Russell, calling out a fighter two divisions above him.

“We’re going to see if he actually takes the fight or if he was just running his mouth like I think he is. It doesn’t matter,” said Devin when asked who he prefers between Yuriorkis Gamboa and Russell Jr.

“It’s going to be the same outcome. I feel like I’m ready for anyone at this point with any style. Gary Russell is a good fighter, Gamboa is a good fighter, but I’m on a whole different level than either one of those guys,” said Haney.

Russell Jr is still a world champion, and he’s a lot younger than the 38-year-old Yuriorkis Gamboa. Haney is minimizing the talent that Russell Jr has for some reason.

Perhaps, Haney is hoping that by devaluing Russell Jr as a threat, it’ll cause him to lose confidence. It’s not likely to work, though. Russell Jr was a decorated amateur, and he’s been a world champion longer than Haney has been in the pro game.

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Haney worried about Russell’s excuse-making

“I just hope I get my credit because I watch Gary, and he keeps making excuses about the Loma fight,” said Haney.  “One moment, he had weight problems, and one moment he wasn’t focused.

“Nah, we don’t want to hear any of that. You lost. You’re talking about weight problems against Loma., but you’re moving up two weight classes to fight me. I don’t want to hear nothing about weight.

“We don’t want to hear any excuses. If you’re a true champion, you take your loss like a man and keep moving forward. We don’t want to hear that. Now he’s trying to make excuses before the fight is even finalized, saying, ‘I hope the judges.'”

“Let’s debunk the myth that Gary Russell is the most hunted man in boxing,” said Bill Haney. “You can’t be the most hunted man in boxing if a 20-year-old is looking for you.

“When we get through, there won’t be any questions. There won’t be any doubt in nobodies’ mind. What do you think of the size difference? What the f*** kind of question is that?

“They’re going to weigh in at 135 at the same time. One hundred thirty-five pounds is 136 pounds. Let’s not start s*** about the size. Devin is going to whoop the s*** out of that man.

The only excuse that I’ve heard from Russell Jr was about him being weight drained for the Lomachenko fight.

I haven’t heard anything about Russell Jr complaining about not being focused, but even if he had, it makes sense. If you’re weight drained, you’re not going to be focused.

Image: Devin Haney waiting for Gary Russell Jr to sign contract

Bill Haney predicting a thrashing

He’s going to beat the s*** out of that man. It’ll be clear,” said Bill Haney on Devin beating Russell. “There won’t be any doubt: sign, Mr. Gary Russell. We answered every demand that you said. Answer to the email or let us move on to what we were ere doing and get back to the Devin Haney show.”

“He said he wants to fight in December or something like that,” said Devin about Russell. “and he put out in the public what we wanted to put on the contract, and this is the only reason I’m putting out what he said.

“He said he wants to fight in December. The dude wants to fight the day after Christmas. Have you ever heard of a fight taking place a day after Christmas? A weigh-in happening on Christmas? That’s why I say he’s full of cap.

“Stop the games. I don’t have time. That’s what he does. He takes a year off, and he waits for his whole career. With me, I want the big fights to happen and then move on.

“If you want to do 126 or 130 or whatever you want to do, then let us move on. All that capping and doing stuff for attention, we don’t have time for that. No, I’m not happy,” said Haney when asked if he’s happy that the other lightweights are backing away from him.

Haney didn’t thrash his last opponent Alfredo Santiago last November. Indeed, it was a close fight, and Haney was lucky he didn’t get stopped due to his shoulder injury.

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Devin keeping his options open

“I want to make the biggest fights happen. Gary Russell is a big fight, but there are bigger fights that can be made at 135,” Devin said. “Is Gary Russell a good fighter? Absolutely.

“After I beat Gary Russell, hopefully, the top guys in the 135 lb division will fight me. Gamboa is still a possible opponent too. We’re not counting anybody out.

“We’re still looking at everybody just in case the guy doesn’t take the fight. We got to see if the war actually happens. We can talk about it all day long, but it’s no progress if the fight never happens.

“He had a lot to say before the contract was sent. He was doing all these interviews before the contract was sent,” Haney said about Russell Jr. “The contract is here. You went ghost? Where you at?”

It’s good that Haney is keeping his options open in case Russell Jr doesn’t agree to the contract offer. But in Russell’s case, he would likely have an excellent reason if he chooses not to agree to the deal.

Russell Jr already outed Haney’s dad over the stipulations that he was putting in the contract offer. With that going on, it wouldn’t be surprising if Haney slipped another stipulation in the contract offer.

You can understand why Russell Jr wants time to go over the contract with a fine-tooth comb to make sure everything is kosher.

Image: Devin Haney waiting for Gary Russell Jr to sign contract
September 13, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Devin Haney and Zaur Abdullaev during their bout at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

Devin rates himself above Gary Jr.

“We want to see it. I haven’t even watched Gary, to be honest with you,” said Devin. “There’s not that many of his fights on the internet. Maybe because he fights once a year, once every two years, I don’t know.

“But I haven’t watched him like that. Coming up, I watched him a little bit. To be honest, I really haven’t seen Gary fight, but I know he’s a good fighter, and he has a lot of experience.

“I’m on the whole totally different level. And I’m not the type of fighter to say, ‘He’s 5’4”, he’s 126 pounds. I’m going to beat him because I’m bigger.’ I’ve beaten older guys.

“My whole career, I’ve always beaten older guys. So I’m not saying that’s why I’m going to beat him, but my skill set and everything I bring to the table is why I’m going to beat him. Not because of size,” said Haney.

Well, Haney can’t rate himself above Russell Jr and sound believable given that he’s an email champion and not someone that won his belt in a fight. Russell Jr won his title inside the ring, not outside of it.

Image: Devin Haney waiting for Gary Russell Jr to sign contract

Haney is just a newbie as a champion, and he still hasn’t defended it against a credible opponent. Devin was named champion by the World boxing Council on October 23 last year outside of the ring. Haney then defended his WBC 135-lb title successfully for the first time on November 9 against Alfredo Santiago.