Former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman sounded concerned, reacting to being told of Devin Haney’s rapid rehydration of 25 lbs for his competition last December against WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis last December.
Thurman asked if Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) might be using a liquid IV to rehydrate rapidly overnight to go from 140 to 165 lbs for his fight against Prograis on December 9th in San Franciso.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to stop fighters from using an IV to rehydrate if they choose to go down this path.
That makes Haney a weight bully in the eyes of many fans, a fighter who competes well below his body size to seek an advantage.
Haney’s 25-Pound Rehydration Sparks Concern
Besides the danger involved in shifting that much weight, there are also ethical questions. Is that not gaming the system for a fighter to drain down from 165 to compete in a weight class well below his body size?
Why is Haney choosing to fight at light welterweight rather than middleweight [160] or super middleweight [168]?
Could Haney not succeed in fighting opposition his size, like David Benavidez, David Morrell, or Janibek Alimkhanuly? Would Haney’s career evaporate overnight if he had to fight guys his size? Unfortunately, that would very likely be the case.
“What did he do, let that boy get a liquid IV? What did that boy do,” said Keith Thurman to Thaboxingvoice, reacting to being told that Devin Haney rehydrated 25 pounds from 140 lbs to 165 lbs for his fight against WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis last year on December 9th.
“Nah, that’s awkward, man. That’s awkward,” said Thurman when told that Conor Benn, a welterweight, rehydrated to 171 lbs for his recent fight against Peter Dobson.
Haney’s Defense Falls Flat
Devin Haney said this on X, in a rebuttal to Thurman asking if he had used a “liquid IV” to rehydrate for his clash against Prograis: “Liquid IV,” ain’t that s*** you mix in your water?”
Boxing needs to be changed to stop the practice of extreme weight draining and rehydration for fighters, considering it’s not safe for the guys doing it and definitely not for their opponents.
When fighters compete outside of their natural weight class by as much as 20 lbs, it’s risky for them and their opponents. The commissions need to step in and do something about this to set up safety measures that protect the fighters from this unethical practice.
