Five words from Bill Haney sum up the dramatic shift in public opinion that surrounds welterweight boxer Devin Haney.
“It’s Devin Haney versus everybody,” the father and longtime coach of the former two-division champion said Tuesday on “The Ariel Helwani Show.”
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Bill, perhaps, hasn’t helped things as he once pushed a notion that Devin was the heir to Floyd Mayweather’s throne atop American boxing. A sparring session between them in 2017 made the all-time great realize that “the torch had been passed and he passed it to Devin,” Bill told reporters last year.
Though Devin has fallen short of that lofty comparison, the California boxer’s body of work at 26 years old remains impressive, as he’s already beaten George Kambosos, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis, among others.
Earlier this month, Haney added to his résumé with a routine victory over the former unified super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez. The performances from both fighters were lackluster, as they combined to throw a paltry 503 punches — the sixth-fewest total shots for a 12-round bout in the 40-year operating history of boxing statistician CompuBox, per data sent to Uncrowned.
“That’s boxing,” Bill said in defiance of criticism over the lack of aggression Haney and Ramirez showed, adding that he “loved” the performance. “[Devin is an] old-school fighter. You might call him boring, but you don’t call him easy. You say a lot of s*** about him, but you don’t call him a loser.”
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Haney barely broke a sweat to score a lopsided win. Regardless, Devin’s father insisted it was a useful exercise because it showed his son the discipline needed to stick to a winning strategy. “A pressure fighter like Jose Ramirez, who traditionally throws a lot of punches [and] should be punching like his career depended on it, chose to have the lowest output of his career,” Bill said. “I know Devin did that to him.”
In swatting Ramirez aside, Haney honored his immediate obligation before an anticipated rematch with Ryan Garcia. The rivals have unfinished business. That much was clear in the buildup to the recent Times Square show on May 2, as a fight week press conference quickly turned into the Haney and Garcia show.
Garcia entered the ring in their first fight on April 20, 2024 having missed weight, then proceeded to drop Haney three times en route to a controversial victory. The New York State Athletic Commission overturned the win after reports showed Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. In September, Haney sued Garcia for battery, fraud and breach of contract.
Bill and Devin have since said that the Garcia of today is markedly different to the one who stood opposite them in the ring in 2024. Garcia didn’t look the same in-ring for his recent return either — he appeared lost in a listless loss to Rolando “Rolly” Romero, who dropped him in the second round and neutralized Garcia’s famed left hook, on the same night Haney beat Ramirez.
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“Ryan Garcia said he prepared himself, [was] on his best behavior, but of course he didn’t have that one key ingredient,” Bill said. “There was no ostarine.”
He then implored Garcia to get back into the ring “with Devin, as a clean fighter.”
While a bout agreement for a rematch always seemed to be in place, largely because of boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, there remain obstacles to clear, like drug-testing.
Devin is “ready to be tested at any given time,” Bill said. To demonstrate this, they gave the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association their whereabouts in Miami so VADA could continue to test Devin round the clock, through the year, even when he doesn’t have a fight booked.
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“If you’re not [enrolled] in VADA, talking about fighting Devin Haney, then we question whether or not you’re clean,” he said.
There is also lingering animosity between Bill and Oscar De La Hoya. The Golden Boy founder and Haney bickered on stage, and De La Hoya challenged Bill to a fight in public this past April. He also implored Devin to fire his own father from the team. There is therefore a question as to whether the two sides could put their differences aside, and get a lucrative Haney vs. Garcia rematch over the line.
“Listen, Oscar doesn’t dictate anything,” Bill said. “It’s the people who want to see the fight. [He needs to] stay on that side. I’ll stay on my side [of the stage].”
There is also the issue of Haney suing Garcia, and Garcia responding with a counter-suit of his own. But if Garcia comes to the ring as a clean boxer and fights Haney again, then Bill would drop his lawsuit. “Make the fight happen and [it’s] gone,” he said on X in April.
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It’s a matter of compensation, he elaborated when speaking to Uncrowned. “Devin, who I work for, hasn’t been compensated in any way,” Bill said.
As part of Garcia’s punishment for testing positive for ostarine, he had to forfeit over $1 million of his purse for the bout. Haney said this figure went directly to Golden Boy Promotions, rather than Devin. “We weren’t compensated a dime,” he said.
They intend to either get what they feel is owed to them from the suit, or through the booking of a rematch. And they may well get that chance at a venue in Riyadh, in October, Bill said.
“That’s the compensation we need — whipping his ass.”
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