Devin Haney is already counting his fight against Ryan Garcia in the win column and looking toward his next three fights against Gervonta Davis, Subriel Matias, and Teofimo Lopez.
Tank Davis – A Weighty Issue
Haney still hasn’t given up his dream of fighting Tank Davis, but that fight won’t happen without weight stipulations to keep Devin from rehydrating into the 160s. Haney has already said he won’t agree to any weight stipulations, so that is the end of the story.
There won’t be a fight between him and Tank because he’s not going to agree to be outweighed by 30+ lbs by a super middleweight-sized fighter who is gaming the system by draining down to fight in smaller weight classes to seek an advantage.
It could be a big mistake for WBC light welterweight champion Haney to assume he beats Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) because he was clearly beaten by Vasily Lomachenko last year in his gift decision.
Devin’s last win was an ugly performance against a past-his-prime 35-year-old Regis Prograis, who looked shot. If Ryan connects with one of the big left hooks, he’ll finish what Jorge Linares started.
Negotiations and the Possibility of Stalemate
Whether Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) gets any of those three will depend on how he negotiates them. If he and his dad, Bill Haney, play hardball, they’ll be stuck defending against WBC mandatory Sandor Martin next, which has PPV failure written all over it.
When you get a fighter that is too big for their britches, they tend to undermine themselves, believing they rate the best deal in every negotiation and they are impossible to deal with.
That will likely be Haney’s fate. He’s going to magnify his win over Ryan, if he wins, and attempt to use the victory to offer impossible terms that no one in their right mind will ever agree to.
Haney will then wind up fighting lesser opposition, which in some ways will be good for him, because he won’t last if he fights the killers, who will expose his nonexistent power and weak chin.
No Interest in Welterweight
One thing is for sure, Haney won’t be moving up to 147 to risk his hide against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis at welterweight. Devin and Bill know his limitations and understand that anything above 140 is kryptonite for him because he has no power and has a chin problem.
“Me and Tank, me and Matias, and me and Teo,” said Devin Haney to the media when asked who he wants to fight in his next three contests after Ryan Garcia. “I think so [the three fight will happen].
“They’re using that to sell him, but he ain’t no boogeyman to me,” said Haney about IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias. ”
“It depends. I know I’m the guy that bullies the bully. I’m the guy that steps up when nobody wants to. I’m the guy that steps in and saves the day. So, they might need me to save the day and go fight Matias.
“After this fight, if he wants to explore this fight and he’s with Eddie [Hearn], that fight can be made [with Matias]. If Teo wants it, I’m over here with Top Rank right now. We can make that fight, too. It doesn’t matter. I want to make the biggest fights happen against the best fighters in the world because I truly believe I’m the best.
“I’m not just talking. I’m not on Twitter just saying this. I’m for real. Of the younger guys, I’m the only one that’s doing it. Teo is doing it, too. Me and my dad worked hard to get to this position where I’m able to do that,” said Haney about floating around from network to network to get the best fights against opposition he’s confident of beating.
“I don’t sign no long term thing because I want to make the biggest fights happen, and I’ve been saying this for a while,” said Haney.
