The Haney patriarch called a Keyshawn Davis fight a battle for boxing’s top spot but declined to address Devin Haney’s title plans
Bill Haney declined to say whether Devin Haney would give up the WBO welterweight title to secure a fight with Shakur Stevenson. The comments came as he described a potential Devin Haney-Keyshawn Davis matchup as a fight that would determine boxing’s No. 1 fighter.
The comments come as Devin Haney weighs his next move amid growing speculation about potential fights against either Shakur or Keyshawn, who recently became the WBO’s mandatory challenger at welterweight.
Bill acknowledged the significance of a fight between Devin and Keyshawn.
“Of course, Dev wants the biggest and best challenges first, but more importantly, this fight between him and Keshan determines really who’s number one in boxing on everybody’s list,” Bill said on Cigar Talk.
Devin recently indicated he would accept a 144-pound catchweight for a fight with Shakur. Keyshawn is the WBO mandatory challenger at welterweight.
With Keyshawn now in position as the WBO mandatory challenger, questions remain about whether Devin can pursue the Shakur fight before addressing his title obligations.
When asked directly if the Haney team would be willing to relinquish the WBO belt in order to secure a fight with Shakur, Bill declined to give a definitive answer.
“Listen, we’ll let Gustavo come on here and say it and not you said it,” Bill said.
The comment came during a discussion about the WBO’s role in determining Devin’s next move. Naji had planned to interview WBO president Gustavo Olivieri later in the show, but the appearance was postponed because of a family emergency.
The WBO previously informed Ring Magazine that Haney must satisfy his mandatory obligation against Keyshawn or risk losing the title.
