Could We Now See Javier Fortuna Fight Devin Haney?
The effect of the coronavirus pandemic has shown its ugly head in boxing once again. Jorge Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) has been forced to drop out of his upcoming fight against Javier Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KOs) due to testing positive for COVID-19. Now that his chance to step into the ring against Linares is gone for the time being, where does Fortuna go from here?
That answer may lie with how the World Boxing Council (WBC) reacts to the news regarding Linares.On July 4, the sanctioning body came up with the idea of a lightweight tournament, with Linares – Fortuna kicking things off.
Another participant in this tournament is the current WBC World Lightweight champion, Devin (24-0, 15 KOs) Haney. Haney is currently in negotiations to face former world Featherweight and Junior Lightweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa.
However, with Fortuna now without an opponent, could the WBC decide to inject their authority and order a fight between him and Haney?
HANEY V FORTUNA?
Here’s the key factor. In the latest rankings at 135lbs, Fortuna is the WBC’s #1 contender. Also, Haney’s next fight has not been finalized. If the WBC were to demand Haney face Fortuna next, would it be something that’s outside the realm of possibility?
Furthermore, it appears Haney wants it. Following the news about Linares, the champ took to social media and left a message for Fortuna.
Much of this depends on Linares and his recovery process following his positive test result for COVID-19.
However, if Linares is unable to fight for an extended period, do not be surprised if the WBC pulls some strings behind the scenes to make sure their tournament stays on course. Stay tuned to 3KingsBoxing for the latest news on this developing and fluid situation.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
