Mauricio Sulaiman talks Devin Haney’s championship status
According WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, we are all very close to having a final verdict on Devin “The Dream” Haney’s (24-0, 15 KO’s) championship status. Along with Haney, the fate of the bout for his vacant WBC lightweight title between Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KO’s) and Luke Campbell (203, 16 KO’s) will also be determined.
Sulaiman had the occasion to reveal these items while providing an exclusive interview to AB Boxing News.
WHICH WAY IS UP?
Following the successful first defense of his title against Alfredo Santiago, Haney came to discover that he would require surgery to mend damage done to this right shoulder. Realizing that The Dream would need time to heal and rehab his injury, the WBC did not want to leave their lightweight title idle indefinitely.
As a result, they ordered a prizefight between Fortuna and Campbell and reclassified Haney as a “champion in recess.”
The swift move injected a great deal of confusion into the landscape of the lightweight landscape. This discombobulation intensified when Haney took to his social media declaring that he, following a petition, was reinstated as the formal champion by the WBC.
THE NEXT MOVE
The trouble with this is the fact that the WBC never co-signed this sentiment.
Now, listening to Mauricio Sulaiman, it appears that matter is not resolved whatsoever. Luckily though, an answer to all these million dollar questions should be just around the corner.
“Devin Haney fought and defended his title and got an injury which required surgery with an undetermined time for him to be back. That’s why the WBC placed him as ‘champion in recess.’ We ordered a fight between mandatory contender Fortuna against Campbell and that fight was negotiated and signed.
“So there is a contract. It was going to take place on April 17 precisely and that fight didn’t take place because of the coronavirus. Nobody is to blame, nobody has responsibility over that.
“But now we have received a letter from Devin Haney with a medical certificate clearing him to go back to boxing. So we got a letter from Fortuna, we got a letter from Campbell, everything is on the WBC board of governors voting process right now.
“Next week we will have the final resolution.”
By: Bakari Simpson
