Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says Devin Haney has told him that he intends on defending his WBC light welterweight title against his mandatory Sandor Martin next, provided he wins on Saturday night against Ryan Garcia.
The Martin Problem: PPV or Pay-Per-Dud?
The problem with Haney fighting his WBC mandatory Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KOs) is that it wouldn’t be a PPV-worthy fight that he could peddle to the fans.
Of course, that probably won’t stop Haney and his dad, Bill, from insisting that DAZN place it on pay-per-view, hoping that the popularity he gains from a win over Ryan Garcia on Saturday night will make fans eager to pay to see him fight the southpaw Martin.
Fans still likely won’t be interested in paying to see Haney fight Martin on PPV, especially if he fights in a safety-first manner against Ryan Garcia on Saturday night, which he likely will. Haney will fight like he always does, clinching, moving, and jabbing. It’s not going to be thrilling to watch.
Weight Cut Problem: Undisputed vs. Long-Term Health
The other issue Haney has is the time commitment that it’ll require for him to capture the three remaining titles at 140. With Devin rehydrating to 165 lbs, he’s killing himself to make weight for the light welterweight division, and he should be fighting at junior middleweight.
For Haney to achieve his goal of becoming undisputed, he’ll need to defeat these three champions:
– Subriel Matias: IBF
– Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz: WBA
– Teofimo Lopez: WBO
It’s insane that Haney is dehydrating 25 lbs from 165 to 140 for him to compete. Fighters that rehydrate to 165 normally fight at junior middleweight.
If Haney wants to stay at 140 long enough to become the undisputed champion, it could take at least two years assuming he can get the fights he needs against the three champions.
The Real Reason to Stay at 140
With Haney’s obscene weight loss required to make 140, it’s difficult to imagine him staying at light welterweight for another two years to achieve his goal by 2026 or 2027. It sounds crazy, but it also reflects Haney’s desire to keep his career going for as long as possible.
The reality is if Haney moves up to 147, he would need to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and he stands no chance against that kind of talent and he clearly knows that, which is why he’s willing to kill himself to stay at 140 for as long as possible to make money and capitalize on fighting smaller fighters.
If Haney is forced to fight at 154, which is where he should be at, given his 165-lb frame, he would need to fight these killers:
– Terence Crawford
– Israil Madrimov
– Sebastian Fundora
– Tim Tszyu
– Errol Spence
I don’t see Haney beating ANY of those guys, and I think he’d suffer knockout losses in all five of those fights. It’s not even just them that would beat Haney. The many talented contenders at 154, like Xander Zayas, Erickson Lubin, Vergil Ortiz and Serhii Bohachuk would see Haney as food and finish his career quickly.