Paulie Malignaggi expects Devin Haney to take a “mid-level” ranked 140-lb contender when he returns to the ring at some point.
A Careful Return
Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) won’t jump right into a major fight against one of the top guys in the light welterweight division due to what he just went through in his loss to Ryan Garcia on April 20th. That was a punishing fight for Haney, 25, than any of his previous 30 fights as a pro.
It’s still unclear how long Haney will be out of the ring. He said he wanted to take one to two years off, but he might choose to return sooner out of boredom or if he’s offered a lucrative fight that he can’t turn down.
If His Excellency Turki Alalshikh offers Haney $10 million to fight a big name like Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, or Jaron Ennis, it’s hard to picture him saying no.
The 147-pound Question Mark
Haney should think twice before moving up to 147 because he doesn’t have the power to thrive in that division, and his punch resistance isn’t good enough for him to take the kind of punishing blows that he would need to for him to swim with the sharks like Boots Ennis and Brian Norman Jr.
“I think he’ll pick a mid-level contender and try and work his way back in. It’ll be something he needs to do and test the waters to see how he looks and feels getting hit again,” said boxing expert Paulie Malignaggi to Probox TV, talking about when Devin Haney returns to the 140-lb division to resume his career after his loss to Ryan Garcia.
Haney has carefully selected opponents during his career, except for his match against Ryan Garcia, which was a cherry-pick gone wrong. Oddsmakers picked Haney to defeat Ryan, but they didn’t know that he would come out trying to slug with him instead of boxing him.
The Competitive Landscape at 140
“The weight class will continue to move and thrive. It’s a weight class with a lot of fun fighters. I think it’ll be fun when Devin does return. It’s a difficult weight,” said Malignaggi.
“Teofimo Lopez is the only name on the list that I would expect him to face,” said Shawn Porter about who Haney could fight at 140 when he returns. “We know what Isaac Cruz has done, but only at 135. He just got to 140. For me, the dark horse right now is Alberto Puello.
WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo would be an excellent fight for Haney at some point after he gets one or two tune-up fights under his belt. That would be the biggest money fight at 140 for Haney to take when he returns to the ring, but it would be a difficult one because Teofimo has power in both hands.
If Haney’s punch resistance isn’t up to the task, he should steer clear of Teofimo and focus on a more manageable champion like newly crowned WBC light welterweight champion Alberto Puello or WBA champ Isaac ‘Pitbull Cruz.
“He’s 29-years-old at 140. I think he’s got his man strength. I think he’s a tough competitor for anybody,” said Porter about Puello.
Alberto Puello would be a dangerous fight for Haney because he’s powerful and tough, and he’s still in the prime of his career. If Haney takes Puello, he better be ready for a grueling fight.
“We didn’t know anything about him until he got in the ring with Antuanne Russell. He’s a tough player at 140. It’s probably the most competitive division in boxing right now,” said Porter.
If Haney moves up to 147, he’s got some tough choices because the best guys in that division can punch. Haney would have to increase his power to have a chance of doing anything in that division.