Devin Haney Attributes Victor Conte for Better Results
At one point in time in boxing, preparation for a prizefight was a rather straight forward affair. Brutal, but straight forward. Fighters would run, skip rope, do mitt work, bag work and spar. Outside of individual tweaks and dieting, these items represented the bulk of the prizefight preparation gamut. Times have definitely changed!
Now when getting into fighting shape, it’s not uncommon for boxers to utilize technologies seemingly straight from a sci-fi movie. It’s nothing for pugilists to train in high-altitude chambers or track their breathing with state of the art machines. Even fighters hopping into freezing hyperbaric compartments warrant no second looks.
A new breed of strength and conditioning coaches have revolutionized the types of physical exercises fighters undergo. Likewise, nutritionists and chefs have greatly altered what foods and supplements boxers consume.
CONTE, SNAC, AND THE BOUNCE-BACK
In terms of supplements and nutrition, SNAC owner and founder Victor Conte has remained at the forefront at the field for more than 2o years. Unfortunately, some will always view him as a villainous character. This is due to his 2005 conviction in relation to his duplicitous BALCO scandal. Ultimately, Conte would serve four months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of orchestrating a steroid distribution scheme.
After serving his time, Conte integrated back into sports and began the long process of rebuilding his reputation. While some will continue to categorize him negatively, other won’t stop singing his praises. Count lightweight boxer Devin “The Dream” Haney as one such individual. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, he gave his personal account on using SNAC.
“But the first time that I ever heard about SNAC was when my godfather Zab [Judah], when he did a training camp and Victor sponsored him for the training camp and he had a whole bunch of SNAC gear. I was like, ‘damn what is that? I want some of that SNAC gear! […] and when I came to train with Shawn Porter that’s when I like put everything together.” ~Devin Haney
This Friday September 13, Haney will face Zaur Abdullaev for the interim WBC lightweight title. The bout will mark the fourth consecutive training camp that Haney has undergone at the SNAC training facilities.
A BETTER WAY TO GROW
Despite being a top-flight boxer, prior to linking up with Conte, Haney found out he had a lot to learn. In his estimation, his training camp regimen was as good as it gets. However, after running into Conte in 2014 at the age of 15 years old, the young fighter would receive a beneficially rude awakening. Following a rigorous battery of tests, Victor Conte highlighted all the physical and nutritional areas that the Californian fighter could improve in.
When Haney gave Conte’s advice a try, he took pleasant surprise with how visibly his physical stamina and ability improved. Since launching their collaboration, the Dream has become a true believer in Conte, SNAC products and his near futuristic training techniques. On September 13, Haney is fully intent on putting on the best performance on his young career. And in large part he gives a grand amount of the credit to the work he’s done with Victor Conte.
“Victor has helped me tremendously. You know. before those four fights ago I was telling Victor everything I was doing […] and he told me I was doing everything wrong. And I was like, ‘you know I been doing this pretty much my whole boxing career, how am I doing everything wrong?’ I couldn’t understand. When he tested my blood, I wasn’t that bad but it wasn’t the right way to be doing it. […] Victor started explaining everything to me. I feel like it took me to the next level and my fights have been showing it.” Devin Haney
By: Bakari Simpson
