Former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney has had a rollercoaster 2024 thus far, beginning the calendar as a pound-for-pound contender and super-lightweight champion but now holding no belts despite his undefeated record remaining intact. However, despite declaring that he would have a break from boxing and sit out the remainder of the year, it appears as though Haney will return and jump in at the deep end.
Haney moved up to 140lbs after conquering the lightweight division and looked phenomenal on his debut at the weight, whitewashing Regis Prograis to become WBC champion of the division. Just months later, Haney took on one of boxing’s most famous names in Ryan Garcia, but the clash did not go to plan.
Garcia missed weight but still managed to dominate proceedings, even without the incentive of becoming a champion, flooring Haney on three occasions before getting his hand raised. Although, during the aftermath, news broke that ‘King Ry’ had failed a drugs test on the day of the weigh-in and the day of the fight – forever tainting his greatest ever performance.
Consequently, the result of the bout was overturned to a no-contest and Haney’s ‘0’ was reinstated, yet still he opted to take a break and thus became the WBC’s ‘champion in recess’, as Alberto Puello assumed his position as WBC champion.
Just two months on from that decision, Haney now seems ready to put the complications of this year behind him and move on from his controversy with Garcia and Eddie Hearn told Boxing Scene that he is attempting to stage a showdown between Haney and IBF super-lightweight champion Liam Paro in Paro’s native Australia.
“It’s a good fight. It’s a fight that Devin thinks he can win. Obviously, he can come back. He’s in recess with the WBC, so it’s a unification/regaining a title [fight].
“It’s a fight that Liam would like as well. Devin’s got a good profile in Australia with those two Kambosos fights. So it could be an option. I spoke to him [Thursday] night, and he says if the deal’s right, I don’t think he’d have a problem going.
“The plan for Liam Paro is to fight December 7 in Australia. That’s the aim. We’re in conversations with various state governments to hold Liam Paro’s fight. Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide.
“There is still a chance [the opponent] could be the [Jack] Catterall-[Regis] Prograis winner, but that’s unlikely, given the timing. I still would like to look at a fight between Devin Haney and Paro, or if not, another contender in the division.”
As Hearn states, this will be the third occasion that Haney has fought Down Under in as many years, after twice dominating George Kambosos Jr. to first become undisputed champion and then retain that status in a similarly one-sided rematch.
This time around, we could see a more competitive match-up, given Haney’s beating in his last outing and Paro’s career best win against Subriel Matias ahead of what will be a difficult homecoming and first defence for the Aussie.
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