By Adam Baskin: Devin Haney claims he contacted promoter Eddie Hearn about a fight with WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis. Haney says he was the one that made the call to Hearn, not the other way around.
If true, this would suggest that the undisputed lightweight champion Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) has decided to duck the best fighters at 135, Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis, in favor of fighting the 35-year-old Prograis.
Fighting Prograis would be nothing but a foxhole for Haney to hide in to escape the heat from fans, who are lighting a fire under his backside for him to fight Shakur, Tank, and more importantly, give Vasyl Lomachenko a rematch in a neutral venue outside of the state of Nevada.
The way Haney ran out of the ring when Shakur tried to call him out last weekend, it was transparently clear that he had no intentions of fighting him. Shakur admitted afterward he was disgusted at seeing Haney run out of the ring.
Possible reasons why Haney wants Prograis:
1. Needs excuse to Avoid Shakur & Tank Davis
2. Can’t handle the pressure of being a champ
3. Confidence GONE after Loma fight
4. He knows he’ll lose his next fight
Those four lightweight titles that Haney holds are like a hot potato, and he can’t get rid of them fast enough because to hold onto them means he’ll have to face the murderer’s row: Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, Keyshawn Davis, Frank Martin, William Zepeda, Isaac Cruz, and Raymond Muratalla.
The thing is, Haney just finished fighting 35-year-old Vasyl Lomachenko, who exposed him in royal fashion as lacking the talent to be the four-belt champion at lightweight.
To get the wheel in motion, Prograis (28-0, 24 KOs) personally invited Haney to sit ringside for his next title defense against former Arnold Barboza Jr victim Danielito Zorrilla (17-1, 13 KOs) next month on June 17th at the Smoothie King Center, in New Orleans, Lousiana.
I’m thinking bout it.. I’m assuming Eddie told you about that lil call I just gave em 😏 https://t.co/8CXkoayv0b
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) May 26, 2023
& for the record.. I called Eddie about making a Regis fight. He didn’t call me! 😤
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) May 26, 2023
Not even a week from the last fight.. & I got that itch already.. I needa go on vacation lol I’m bored
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) May 26, 2023
Instead of Haney trying to get a fight against Prograis, he should give Lomachenko a rematch so he can shut down the controversy over what the boxing world views as a robbery. That’s the kind of outcome that Haney can’t distance himself from, no matter how hard he tries.
It won’t help Haney to flee to the 140-lb division to avoid giving Lomachenko a rematch and fighting Shakur & Tank. Haaney can’t hide from them. Fans expect Haney to face his fears and go down with his ship at 135 before moving to 140.
