Devin Haney needs a low-level puncher for him to come back against in one of the two Riyadh shows before the end of the year.
Haney must be rebuilt quickly to set up a big-money rematch against Ryan Garcia for a summer mega-fight in 2025. Ideally, if Haney can pick two or three wins before next summer, a rematch between him and Ryan will make huge money.
Targeting a Paper Title
Dethroning the weakest link at welterweight, WBC champion Mario Barrios, would be perfect for Haney. That would make Haney a champion of sorts. Granted, he would be viewed as a paper champion, but he would still hold a belt, making a rematch between him and Ryan bigger.
The problems that Haney showed taking the hard shots from Ryan Garcia last April make it important that he face a non-puncher when he returns to the ring. He can’t afford another showing like that if he wants to return to the top.
It’s believed that Haney, 25, will be moving up to 147 because it’s become too difficult for him to make 140. In moving up to welterweight, he must move into the division slowly, given what happened to him against Ryan.
Haney lost the fight to Ryan Garcia. However, the New York State Athletic Commission overturned the results, making it a no-contest and cleansing Devin’s record due to Ryan’s positive PED test.
Selecting the Right Opponents
Light-hitting Options for Haney’s Next Fight:
- Michael McKinson
- Mario Barrios
- David Papot
- Gabriel Maestre
- Paddy Donovan
Those aren’t household names for the U.S. boxing public, but given Haney’s problems in his last fight taking Ryan’s power shots, he shouldn’t fight anyone notable at 147 because they hit too hard. They would likely finish what Ryan started last April, and no commission would overturn the loss this time.
“Mckinson before the end of the year. Barrios or Stanionis in the first quarter of the year, and then in the summer of 2025, a huge showdown. Maybe it’s in Los Angeles, or maybe it’s in New York against Ryan Garcia,” said Chris Mannix on his YouTube site about a path for Devin Haney to return to the top.
The British welterweight Mckinson (26-1, 4 KOs) was knocked out in nine rounds by Vergil Ortiz Jr. in 2022. Since that fight, McKinson, 30, has won his last four contests against obscure opposition to come back from the defeat.
“Certainly, if Devin can go 3-0 on those fights, it will get him all the way back. He’ll get everything back that he quasi-lost in that Garcia fight,” said Mannix.
It’s asking a lot of Haney to defeat McKinson, Mario Barrios, and Eimantas Stanionis. I think he’ll be alright against McKinson, but Barrios and Stanionis will be tough fights for Haney because those guys can punch a little.
“You have some high-profile events in Riyadh for Devin Haney to come back on. The question is, against whom? I think it’s pretty clear that Devin Haney is done at 140. He’s vacated his title. He’s vacated his [WBC] title. He’s not going to compete there. 147 is the next step up, but I’m not exactly sure who you match him up with in his first fight back,” said Mannix.
“Certainly, you want to look for a lesser puncher. Devin just took a pretty good beating in that fight against Ryan Garcia. You want him to bounce back against a low-level puncher. Is there a logical opponent for him to come back against?” said Mannix.
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