Devin Haney Contemplates Staying At Lightweight For Bigger Fights!
After twelve terrific rounds of high-level boxing, Devin “The Dream” Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) did enough to retain the undisputed lightweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over three-division champion Vasyl “Loma” Lomachenko at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The question now becomes, “will Haney continue to fight at 135, or will he move up to junior welterweight?”
WEIGHING HIS OPTIONS
Following the victory, Haney praised Lomachenko, calling him his toughest opponent and a future Hall of Famer during the post-fight interview. But, the topic quickly turned to what’s next. Haney didn’t seem definitive on his immediate future.
“I’ve been at 135 for a long, long time. I’ve been at 135 since I was sixteen years old. So, we’re gonna go back to the lab and figure out what’s next.
“It’s always been tough for me to make 135. I just beat a future Hall of Famer, it’s my eighth title defense. So, we just got to see.
“But, it’s a lot of great fighters still at the 135-pound division. There’s Shakur Stevenson, Tank Davis. So, we’ll see. If it makes sense, then we’ll be at 135.”
RELATED: Devin Haney On Shakur Stevenson: “He’s Definitely On The Hitlist!”
A LOT TO PONDER
All along, Haney set out to become undisputed at lightweight. He accomplished that goal. He’s coming off being the headliner of a pay-per-view card that drew the attention of the boxing masses and mainstream sports public.
There are definitely terrific fights for The Dream in the junior welterweight division. A match-up that would be very attractive at 140 is a battle between Haney and reigning WBC junior welterweight champion Regis Prograis. There is also the possibility of facing the winner of Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez.
However, a segment of the boxing community believes Haney has unfinished business at lightweight. They want to see him in the ring against the two-division champion and current WBC lightweight mandatory challenger Shakur Stevenson. The two have done plenty of trash-talking towards each other in interviews and on social media.
RELATED: Devin Haney: “Me And Stevenson Were Friends! Now We Are Rivals!”
Another fight at lightweight is a showdown between Haney and reigning WBA Regular champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Tank is on record saying believing that Haney would be easy work. A fight between the two is a potentially massive, big-money, pay-per-view event.
As it stands right now, Haney is on top of the world. But it’s evident he’s battling with himself and has plenty on his mind as he figures out what he wants to do moving forward.
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