The WBO has taken it upon itself to ignite negotiations for one of the biggest fights that can be made in boxing between two American fighters.
The sanctioning body formally ordered its welterweight champion, Devin Haney, to defend his title against No. 1-ranked contender and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis on Tuesday.
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Haney and Davis have 20 days to reach a deal, or a purse bid hearing may be ordered, where Haney would be entitled to 75% of the split, while the challenger would pocket 25%.
Davis (15-0, 10 KOs) knocked out Denys Berinchyk in four rounds in February 2025 to capture the WBO lightweight title. He was supposed to put his title up for grabs against Edwin De Los Santos in June of that year, but Davis missed weight for his homecoming title defense and was stripped of the belt.
The 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist moved up to 140 pounds in 2026, where he has won two fights since: a 12th-round TKO of Jamaine Ortiz in January and a decision over Nahir Albright this past May.
Davis, as a former WBO champion, was able to use his status to be ranked No. 1 when he moved up to the welterweight division and has now been designated as mandatory.
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Haney (33-0, 15 KOs), a three-division champion and Uncrowned’s No. 7 pound-for-pound boxer, won the WBO welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Brian Norman Jr. this past November in Saudi Arabia.
A promotional free agent, Haney has not fought since winning the championship. He has been in widely reported talks to sign with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
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