By Allan Fox: Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr took to social media to confirm with WBC lightweight champion Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney that he absolutely wants to fight him next.
Haney and Diaz Jr exchanged comments on Twitter on Thursday, talking about potentially fighting.
Diaz Jr. (32-1-1, 15 KOs) says he will speak to his management to have them start working on the fight.
Jo Jo defeated Javier Fortuna by a 12 round unanimous decision last Friday night in a WBC 135-lb title eliminator in a Golden Boy card on DAZN at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
It was thought after that win that Diaz Jr would use his WBC mandatory status to challenge Haney.
What confused boxing fans were Diaz Jr choosing to call out both Ryan Garcia and Haney after the fight. If Diaz Jr really wanted the fight with Haney, why was he calling out Ryan Garcia?
Like the rest of the boxing world, Haney obviously heard that Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is reportedly interested in fighting Jo Jo Diaz Jr in October.
That’s a fight that will make a lot of money for Diaz Jr if he’s able to get it. If Diaz is offered the fight with Tank, it will be too tempting for him to turn down.
We will see. Sir https://t.co/NLxlfinvBt
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) July 15, 2021
Sounds like you’re the one back pedaling… you’re my mandatory… the fight should b easy to make! https://t.co/a4NRNCq2bK
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) July 15, 2021
It’s still too early for Diaz Jr to commit to a fight with Haney because he still hasn’t heard from Gervonta’s management at Mayweather Promotions or Ryan Garcia if they want to fight him.
Haney is an excellent champion, but if Diaz Jr is offered a fight with Ryan or Tank Davis, he’s got to grab it with both hands. He’s probably not going to make that kind of money fighting Haney.
Diaz Jr just moved up in weight from 130, and he looked good fighting at 135 against Fortuna. With that said, Diaz Jr didn’t show a great deal of punching power.
Although his punches looked like they had some sting to them, they weren’t the kind of shots that will worry Haney or Tank Davis. Diaz Jr would be better off moving back down to 130 if he loses to Haney, Ryan, or Tank.
Haney should make sure his promoters have a Plan-B option available to him if Diaz Jr chooses not to take the fight.