Devin Haney Taking His Next Fight at 140
When it comes to what is next for Devin “The Dream” Haney (30-0, 15 KOs), a decision has been made. The undisputed lightweight champion is moving on and upward to the junior welterweight division, albeit with a proviso.
The WBC gave Haney a July 21 deadline to inform them whether his next fight would be at lightweight or junior welterweight. They later gave Haney an extension on that deadline to July 27.
Word on the street is that Haney has reached out to the WBC and told them that he is indeed moving up to 140 to pursue a fight with reigning WBC junior welterweight champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis. But here is the kicker. Haney also petitioned the sanctioning body to retain the WBC lightweight title.
Shakur Stevenson is a two-division world champion and the current WBC mandatory challenger at 135. Upon hearing about Haney’s decision, Stevenson posted the following on social media:
IT’S ALL A PROCESS
Haney has been contemplating his next move since his last outing, a unanimous decision victory over Vasyl Lomachenko on May 20. After the win over Lomechenko, the lightweight champion acknowledged that it’s becoming tougher and tougher to make the 135-pound division limit, and he was leaning towards moving up. Many insiders believe that Haney is currently negotiating to fight Prograis this fall.
In reaction to this news about Haney and the WBC, some fans on boxing message boards argue that he is holding the belt hostage. They feel the WBC should outright strip Haney of the belt.
But with Haney letting the WBC know he still wants to keep their lightweight title, it appears that he’s leaving a window open for himself should negotiations with Prograis fail or if he were to end up on the losing end in a match with Rougarou. Stay tuned to 3KingsBoxing.com for any additional updates.
