The trash talk of Devin Haney seems to have finally caught the attention of undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.
Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) had previously shrugged off the possibility of fighting his fellow American due to his less credible claim to a world title, with the New Yorker dubbing Haney the ‘email champion’ due to him not winning his WBC belt in a boxing ring.
Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) has continued to hype up the fight and, somewhat mischievously, cast doubt on Lopez’s claims to be the undisputed champion, maintaining he is the true WBC king. Lopez, of course, inherited the WBC’s bewildering ‘Franchise’ title when he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko on the cards last October.
Now Lopez says an encounter with Haney is his priority and could even take place next, if a bout against IBF No.1 challenger George Kambosos Jr. falls through. Brooklyn’s Lopez has suggested that is a possibility, as negotiations rumble on for his mandatory defence against unbeaten Australian Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs).
“Is [Kambosos] a fight that I want? No. What I want is Devin. Who I want is Devin,” Lopez told ‘The Ak & Barak Show’ on DAZN. “So, I told them [I want that fight] if things go south with Kambosos, which it may look like that’s probably what’s gonna happen. I already spoke with my manager [David McWater] and [promoter] Bob Arum. What we talked about is that if this doesn’t go through, the next guy I want is Devin. So, he’ll be getting something. We’re already gonna be talking to [Haney’s promoter] Eddie Hearn about it as well.
“[Haney is] talking too much shit. I can’t do it. I gotta give him that work, man. I gotta press him. And that’s all, man. That’s just really it. I’m the type of person that I have a lot of pride and my ego gets in the way sometimes. So, if Kambosos doesn’t get involved with the whole mandatory, if the thing falls, [I want Haney] – since he’s my mandatory, that’s the only reason why we’re still talking about Kambosos. But we’re already in talks – this week we’re gonna be talking to Eddie Hearn. And like I said, man, let’s see what happens from there.
“I think it got to the point where I’m just fed up. Me and my pops, we’re fed up. I just said, ‘Man, let’s press this dude. I don’t care what it’s gotta take’. You know, I’m gonna respect the fact that Kambosos is my mandatory. We’re gonna work on that part, because I’ve gotta get that part first. But if things go south, like I said, man, Devin, be ready, my man, because I’m gonna fuck you up! Straight up!”