By Dan Ambrose: Devin Haney could be making his next defense of his WBC lightweight title against #3 Jorge Linares in April. According to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, he’s considering making the Haney vs. Linares fight because he’s heard that WBC interim 135-lb champion Ryan Garcia plans on fighting Javier Fortuna.
It’s good that Hearn is moving on about his hopes for WBC mandatory Ryan Garcia to face Devin because he’s already said that he’s not going to go that route. Ryan says he’s saving Haney for last after he fights Gervonta Davis and Teofimo Lopez.
The former three-division world champion Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) is a step up for Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) from his last fight against 38-year-old Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Linares, 35, is still fighting at a high level and not showing signs of age the way that we see with Gamboa. Even after 19 years as a professional, Linares still has better hand speed and punching power than the 22-year-old Haney.
Linares has won his last two fights against Carlos Morales and Al Toyogon since losing to Pablo Cesar Cano by a first-round knockout in an ill-advised move up to 140 in 2019.
That was a big mistake on Linares’ part to move up to light welterweight, but fortunately for him, he’s come to his senses and returned to the 135-lb division.
Linares hasn’t fought since his win over Carlos Morales last year in February, so there might be some ring rust. If he faces Haney in April or May, he’ll be coming back from a long layoff.
Hearn will be taking a significant risk by letting Haney fight Linares because this is a fight that he could lose or look bad at winning. Haney recently said that he’s like a reincarnated young Floyd Mayweather Jr, but the truth is, he’s nothing like ‘Pretty Boy.’
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum recently floated the idea of Ryan Garcia facing Fortuna, and then later on facing Teofimo Lopez in 2021. Ryan vs. Teofimo is a fight that would make money on pay-per-view.
Right now, it’s impossible to know for sure what Ryan Garcia is going to do because he’s all over the place like a machine gun with the way he’s talking about fighting different guys.
We know Ryan won’t be fighting Haney next, and that’s why Hearn must start planning for Devin’s next fight. He can’t let Haney was time trying to get a fight against Ryan.
Unfortunately, by the time Haney does get the fight, Ryan’s career will likely be in the dumps with various guys who have beaten him.
Haney has the potential to be a top fighter, but he’s got to work on his power, and he needs to start fighting better opposition. He wants to be a star like Mayweather, but he hasn’t shown the same type of talent.