GOLD COAST, Australia – Devin Haney’s most recent promoter can see him returning on the little-known BLK Prime.
The 26-year-old Haney recently posted on social media “March, I’m back”, and BLK Prime responded by writing: “See you March 25 on BLK Prime.”
Should Haney fight for the first time since April 2024 – against Ryan Garcia in one of the biggest fights of the year – and appear on so insignificant a broadcaster his return would be at risk of being overlooked.
Haney followed winning and defending the undisputed lightweight title with Top Rank, on ESPN, to signing for Matchroom and DAZN and defeating Regis Prograis to establish himself as perhaps the number one junior welterweight in the world.
He was a significant favorite in his following fight, against Garcia on the same broadcaster, but proceeded to unexpectedly lose to an overweight opponent who it later transpired had failed a drugs test and also was dropped three times. The only defeat of Haney’s career was later declared a no contest when news of Garcia’s transgressions spread, but much of the damage persists – and should he return on March 25 he will have been inactive for almost a year.
Eddie Hearn had spoken of wanting to extend Haney’s promotional agreement with Matchroom, and also of matching him with Liam Paro in Australia, but the tension between them heightened when Haney criticised him on the night of Anthony Joshua’s defeat in September by Daniel Dubois, and the promoter believes that his financial demands could mean fighting on BLK Prime proves his only choice.
Matchroom signed Jaron Ennis on the eve of Haney-Garcia, and have since started promoting Shakur Stevenson – both represent potential opponents for Haney – but Hearn, who is in the Gold Coast, Australia for Jai Opetaia-David Nyita told BoxingScene: “The only conversations I’ve had with him is through Turki Alalshikh, to go on a Riyadh Season card. But again, it’s difficult, because Turki wants to make big fights, and coming off that Ryan Garcia fight, it’s very difficult to go straight back into a big fight. ‘Cause also, you’re thinking, the Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney rematch is a big fight.
“Devin needs to have a comeback fight, really. For the amount of money he wants to have a comeback fight, that’s not easy. ‘Cause, generally, a comeback fight isn’t a great fight. At the same time, who’s going to pay for it? If you can find someone to pay great money for a comeback fight, maybe that’s BLK Prime. I don’t even know if there’s any truth to it, but it’d be good to see him back, ‘cause I do think he needs to get himself back in the ring.
“Devin’s been very well paid. A lot of that is down to me. But the problem is this interim fight. Him against Ryan Garcia does massive numbers – but that interim fight, he’s not one of them guys that’s gonna take half a million or a million to have an easy 10-rounder. He still wants to get paid very well.”
Hearn is in the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, for Jai Opetaia-David Nyika, and partly as a consequence of Garcia testing positive for ostarine, he believes that Haney’s appeal remains considerable.
“I think a lot of people are going to be interested to see Devin Haney fight again, because they’re probably not sure how he’s going to come back,” he said.
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