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SAN DIEGO – Devin Haney has not budged in his stance on the only fight he wants next.
The unbeaten WBC lightweight titlist continues to campaign for an undisputed championship clash with lineal/WBA “Super”/IBF/WBO/WBC “Franchise” champion George Kambosos Jr. Such a fight has remained a focal point even before Haney (27-0, 15KOs) entered his title consolidation fight with Joseph Diaz Jr., whom he soundly outpointed in a competitive but clear decision win last December 4 in Las Vegas.
Kambosos had a ringside for the occasion, arriving at MGM Grand Garden Arena on the heels of his upset win over Teofimo Lopez last November 27 in New York City which–like Haney-Diaz–also aired on DAZN. Haney insisted during fight week that he was willing to travel to Kambosos’ home country of Australia–where he currently plans to make his first title defense on June 4–and has not wavered from that claim.
“I just want all the belts,” Haney told BoxingScene.com while on site for the March 5 DAZN card topped by Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez’s 12-round masterclass over Julio Cesar Martinez. “I’m the WBC champion, he’s got the rest of my belts. Let’s just make it happen.”
The status on current talks depends on who you ask; Haney and Eddie Hearn–Matchroom Sport chairman and who is negotiating on Haney’s behalf–insist that the fight remains a viable option, while leaks from the other side suggest it has long ago hit a wall along with claiming that DAZN isn’t interested in picking up the tab for the fight.
“They said that,” Haney said. “They also said we’re pricing ourselves out.”
Former three-division titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko (16-2, 11KOs) has since emerged as the frontrunner to land the assignment.
The Ukrainian southpaw has reportedly agreed to terms on his side, though it came before he returned home to Ukraine to help defend against the ongoing Russian invasion which naturally compromises his in-ring availability.
Haney and Hearn have both repeatedly stated that they are not looking to use the Russo-Ukrainian war as leverage to land the fight, both offering sincerest well wishes to Lomachenko and all Ukrainians, particularly Oleksandr Usyk and retired former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko.
All that they ask is for an open line of communication to move forward with a fight that would settle up the lightweight title picture.
“I told Eddie, whatever Loma’s getting let’s match it. I’ll take whatever they’re offering him. I don’t care,” insists Haney.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox