Lightweight contender Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela believes that 140-lb champions Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez don’t want to fight IBF champ Subriel Matias because he’s “too dangerous.’
Rayo says he thinks Haney and Teofimo will purposefully ignore Matias, pretend he doesn’t exist, and just talk back & forth between themselves. [i.e., freeze Matias out]. They’ll nothing Matias to avoid a loss.
Matias’ recent fifth round stoppage win over Shohjahon Ergashev last November might have put the scare in Haney & Teofimo, as both guys never mention his name now, not even for clout-chasing purposes.
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) recently moved up to light welterweight and fought WBC champion Regis Prograis, arguably the weakest link, to dethrone him last month on December 9th.
The former undisputed lightweight champion Haney could have fought Matias, but he chose to fight the 35-year-old Prograis, which says a lot about him. Haney is now looking to fight Ryan Garcia, and that’s another weak move.
Matias will be frozen out
“I like Haney or Teofimo. One or the other,” said Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela to MillCity Boxing when asked who he views as the best fighter at light welterweight. “Him too. He’s a hell of a fighter,” said Rayo about Subriel Matias.
“I think they got to get him in the mix too. I don’t think they’re going to want to get in there with him, though. Nah, no,” said Rayo when asked if Teofimo or Haney would want to fight Matias.
“Nah, he’s too dangerous, and they’re not going to want to do it. It’s going to be like when Teofimo lost Kambosos kind of thing. They’re going to take forever to fight this guy. I don’t think they’re going to fight him,” said Rayo, expressing doubt about Haney & Teofimo ever agreeing to fight Subriel.
In Haney’s case, he’s not going to be fighting at 140 for very much longer, as he’s already putting himself through hell to make the weight.
The ritual that Haney went through to drain down to make the 140-lb limit for his fight against Prograis it was troubling. Then, after making weight, Haney rehydrated to 165
“Yeah, they’re going to do this back-and-forth thing with each other to kind of bury this guy as far as attention. They’re not going to give him no attention. They’re not going to want to talk about him,” said Rayo about Devin & Teofimo pretending that Matias doesn’t exist by ignoring him, never mentioning him, which they’re already doing.”
“Yeah, it’s fluff,” said Rayo when asked if it’s ‘Fluff’ on Teofimo and Haney’s part when they have mentioned wanting to fight Matias in the past. “Everybody is pointing at each other. Just fight.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but this group of people have got to fight. Kambosos is a good fighter, but I don’t know why you’re not fighting each other,” said Rayo.
