Two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi has slammed DAZN for their ‘rushed marketing ploy’ and promotion of one of boxing’s most talked about fighters.
Devin Haney travelled to George Kambosos’ backyard and defeated the Aussie to claim the undisputed lightweight title.
Now, at just twenty-five-years-old, Haney is moving up to super-lightweight, facing WBC Champion Regis Prograis this weekend in a bid to reign supreme in a second weight class.
Ahead of the bout, DAZN have often promoted the contest as ‘Haney-Prograis’, rather than putting the title-holder’s name first, a decision which Malignaggi questioned on Pro Box TV.
“I do see Haney as a talented guy, I do see Haney as a guy who has some skills and can box rather well, but when everybody starts to push this whole star power thing, I’m not seeing it man. I think that he’s a good fighter, he didn’t sell a lot of pay-per-views against the most recognisable opponent of his career, which was the [Vasyl] Lomachenko fight.”
“I don’t understand what the rush is in trying to say that he is a star, he’s not a big-puncher, he’s not an explosive personality, he’s not got the ‘pretty boy’ looks such as Ryan Garcia, for example.”
Malignaggi didn’t stop there with his criticism, going on to hit out at DAZN for how they have performed in the sport so far.
“I don’t understand this extreme push or the marketing ploy here, DAZN have already shown that business-wise they are about as dumb as a box of rocks, they have constantly lost money.
“It doesn’t shock me that they would try and force a round peg into a square hole but at the same time, and this is not a knock on Haney’s boxing ability, I think that he is a good boxer in an overall exciting weight-class, he doesn’t stand out to me as the guy who, amongst all of these great fighters in a really fun weight-class, as something extra special.”
Prograis-Haney takes place on Saturday night, live on DAZN, topping a bill that also features amateur sensation, Andy Cruz.