By Huck Allen: WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney and Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz Jr. have reportedly agreed to terms for a clash on December 4th live on DAZN in Las Vegas. This is a textbook definition of a 50-50, and it’s going to be MASSIVE!
ESPN’s Mike Coppinger reports the unbeaten Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) and former IBF super featherweight champion Jojo Diaz Jr (32-1-1, 15 KOs) has agreed to a deal.
The contracts still need to be finalized, but it’s looking like this excellent fight is about ready to go for December 4th.
Part of the deal is a rematch clause in place if the 22-year-old Haney loses, which makes sense. A second between Haney and Jojo Diaz will likely be even more significant than their first, so it’s a win-win for both of them.
This is the fight fans have been eager to see since Ryan Garcia pulled out of his scheduled November 27th fight against Jojo Diaz Jr.. Of Haney’s 26 past contests, this is by far the most demanding test he’ll have had. It might be a little too tough for Haney, but we’ll see if he’s up to the task.
When Ryan and Jojo Diaz had been scheduled to fight, Haney and Eddie Hearn were both furious about it, as those two had earned mandatory spots by winning WBC lightweight title eliminators.
Indeed, Jojo Diaz defeated Javier Fortuna by a 12 round unanimous decision on July 9th. Then in a bizarre move, he immediately told the boxing media that he would be facing Ryan Garcia next instead of Devin.
Ryan knocked out Luke Campbell in the seventh round in a WBC lightweight title eliminator earlier this year. He, too, then chose not to fight Haney.
Haney is one of those fighters that has seemingly been avoided by the top guys at 135, and it’s great that he’s finally got an exceptional talent that is willing to face him. Jojo Diaz is one of the best fighters in the division and a very tough out for anybody.
Recently, Jojo Diaz had a massive fight against Ryan Garcia go down the tubes when King Ry suffered a hand injury while training for their November 27th fight. Fortunately for Jojo Diaz, Haney needed an opponent for his December 4th fight
It was brilliant for Matchroom Boxing to schedule Haney vs. Diaz Jr on December 4th, as it’s a day before the big December 5th SHOWTIME PPV fight between WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
Not to be outdone, on December 11th, former three-division world champion Vasily Lomachenko will take on former IBF champ Richard Commey in the headliner on ESPN.
A week before those great fights, we’ll see IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez defending against George Kambosos Jr. on November 27th on DAZ in a Matchroom card.
Haney is coming off a thrilling 12 round unanimous decision win over challenger Jorge Linares last May in one of the most exciting fights of the year.
The former three-division world champion Linares gave Haney a scare, hurting him numerous times during the championship rounds. Somehow, Haney held literally in the last four rounds to squeak out a close decision win.
The 2012 U.S Olympian Jojo Diaz Jr. lost his IBF 130-lb title on the scales earlier this year in February when he came in over the super featherweight limit at 133 1/2 lbs for his title defense against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.
The two then fought to a 12 round draw, but many boxing fans felt that Jojo Diaz was the better fighter down the stretch against the tiring Rakhimov.
In January 2020, Jojo Diaz defeated Tevin Farmer by a 12 round unanimous decision to win the IBF 130-lb title. Two years before that, Jojo Diaz Jr had lost to WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. by a 12 round unanimous decision in a failed effort to try and win his title at 126.