Devin Haney: “I want to clean up the sport of boxing”

By: Sean Crose

“This is my longest time away from the ring,” Devin Haney said to a crowd of British reporters on Friday. The lightweight titlist was in London discussing his ring future with Turki Al Sheikh. Speaking to the media, Haney made it clear he’s excited to get back in the ring this March. “I want to fight anybody,” he said. “I want to make the biggest fights happen.” Sure enough, Haney has bigger plans than some might expect. “I want to be a spokesperson for clean boxing,” he stated. “I’ want to clean up the sport of boxing.”

Haney’s last fight saw him get dominated by the controversial Ryan Garcia last spring. That fight, however, was made null and void when it was learned Garcia had tested positive for having a banned substance in his system. Haney, however, indicated he wasn’t going to let the experience overwhelm him. “Just because I got cheated in a fight doesn’t mean I’ve got to change my tune,” he said. And those naysayers who like to speak ill of Haney on social media? “I don’t care what they say at the end of the day,” he said. “I was cheated. They can say what they want to say.”

The truth is that the 31-0 Haney has a lot of options. He said a fight with Teofimo Lopez was proposed but that Lopez passed on it. Then, of course, there’s Tank Davis, perhaps the biggest fighter in the sport not named Canelo or Joshua. Haney responded to rumors that undefeated knockout artist Davis was retiring. “I don’t think he’s going to retire without a lot of unfinished business,” Haney said. Sure enough it seems that Haney himself feels there’s unfinished business of his own to take care of.

While he’s still only 26 years old the man has been among the better known fighters in the sport for a while now. Indeed, Haney has bested the likes of George Kambosos (twice), Vasyl Lomachenko (albeit by a somewhat controversial decision) and Regis Prograis (who he absolutely dominated). Still, there’s the names like Lopez and Davis out there. And, of course, there’s Garcia, a fighter Haney is convinced cheated on his way to a bruising performance. No wonder Saudi boxing honcho Turki Al Sheikh is meeting with Haney. There’s a lot of potential fights to discuss…as well as a sport Haney hopes to clean up.