WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney says he wants to stay at 140 to become undisputed champion after his fight against Ryan Garcia on April 20th.
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) could have problems making that possible, given the financial obstacles he would face trying to negotiate with the always difficult to deal with WBO 140-lb champion Teofimo Lopez and WBA champ Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
The odds of Haney hammering out a deal with Teofimo are slim, and the same is true with Rolly if he’s still the WBA champion after March 30th.
Haney’s Undisputed Vision
“At first, I didn’t plan to, but now. Yes, I want undisputed,” said Devin Haney on X, talking about wanting to stay at 140 to try to become the undisputed champion in a second weight class.
“They will find every reason not to. But Ryan first once I beat him. If Teo [Lopez] wants to unify, I would gladly entertain that fight if the numbers make sense,” said Haney about his desire to face WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez next if he successfully defeats Ryan Garcia in his title defense on April 20th.
Again, it’s questionable whether Haney can line up the fights he needs to become undisputed at 140. At 135, he was in the ideal situation of picking up three belts against the vulnerable unified champion George Kambosos Jr., but that situation doesn’t present itself at 140.
The Size Problem No One Talks About
What could be overlooked is Haney’s massive size for the 140-lb division. He’s a junior middleweight in size and should, at the very least, be moving up to 147. Continuing to make 140 could be a problem for Haney, and he doesn’t want to move up in weight where he belongs.
Devin’s path to undisputed at 140:
- Teofimo Lopez: WBO champion and very difficult to negotiate with
- Subriel Matias: IBF champion
- Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero: WBA belt-holder and considered paper champion
If Haney had to move up to 147 or 154, where he belongs, he would need to mix it with dangerous punchers like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, Terence Crawford, and Tim Tszyu.
Haney’s career could rapidly disintegrate, with him just being one of the many needy contenders trying to piece together a career. But staying at 140 allows Haney to use his size advantage to beat his smaller opposition.