Devin Haney on Tank Davis’ WBA ‘regular’ title: “Throw it in the trash can”

By Boxing News - 06/11/2022 - Comments

By Sean Jones: Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney made it clear this week that he views Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as having a trash belt with his WBA ‘regular’ 135-lb title and wants him to toss it in the ban.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) is now in possession of all four major titles at lightweight after beating three-belt champion George Kambosos Jr on June 5th for their undisputed match in Melbourne, Australia.

However, boxing fans don’t rate fighters by how many titles they own. They just don’t.

Fans rate fighters on perceived ability, and they ignore the world title belts because many of the champions rose to their position with the help of clever match-making by their wily promoters, not based on them being the best.

Although undisputed 135-lb champion Haney would like to be viewed as the #1 guy at lightweight by the boxing world, he’s not. He’s basically a paper champion, holding four titles after defeating the weak three-belt [IBF, WBA & WBO] champ Kambosos.

Haney got his WBC title when the World Boxing Council elevated him to that position without fighting anybody. In other words, Haney was emailed the WBC belt rather than winning it inside of the ring against a real live person.

“That’s a fight that I’m interested in, and that’s a fight that I could get up for and wouldn’t mind doing next,” said Devin Haney to Max on Boxing when asked about his thoughts on defending against Vasyl Lomachenko next.

“You’re now the champion at 135, the champion. There’s only one,” said Max Kellerman to Haney.

“You’ve got to say, ‘Undisputed.’ I need to hear, ‘Undisputed,'” said Haney.

“Undisputed, that’s the right word for you because there is no dispute,” said Kellerman.

“I’m not the champion; I am undisputed champion,” said Haney.

“Tank has a [WBA] regular belt, right?” said Kellerman.

Throw it in the trash can,” said Haney.

“Once you’re the man, it’s easy to say that,” Kellerman said.

“That’s [Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis] another fight that I wouldn’t mind doing next, and I could get up for, and it would be another test for me. I can’t say which is the bigger test.

“One is a puncher, and the other is a technician, so we have to see how the styles align,” Haney said when asked which of the two is a tougher fight for him between Tank Davis and Lomachenko.

“If anyone wants to do anything in the lightweight division, it all goes through me. This is the position I’ve always wanted to be in, and if you want to be the guy in the lightweight division, you’ve got to go through me.

“I think he’s a great fighter, a good friend of mine as well, and eventually, we’re on a collision course, and when the time presents itself, we’ll meet up,” Devin said about a fight against Shakur Stevenson.

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