Devin Haney: “I’m the Most Skilled Fighter in the World Right Now”

WBC lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) talked about most all the big names in and around his weight class, made clear he thinks he is at the tip-top of the game, and simply needs to get booked in big bouts to prove it.

Here is the bulk of the release sent out by Team Haney:

“I’m excited to get back in the ring,” said Haney. “This has been the longest time between fights in my career. My body received a well deserved rest. I’m blessed.”

The 21 year old continued: “Lately, I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time with “TBE” Floyd Maweather. Being compared to Mayweather is the ultimate compliment for any fighter in this era of boxing. I’m the most skilled fighter in the world right now and I’m looking forward to an opponent I can make a statement against. I’m working diligently with Mauricio Sulaiman and the WBC to make the big fights happen. Every decision made by the WBC hasn’t went my way, but I have a genuine love and respect for the WBC family as a whole. I’m proud to represent the WBC organization.”

See highlights from Haney’s last bout below.

“Vasyl Lomachenko is a true professional and considered to be a top five pound for pound champion. I challenged him for the WBC lightweight world title and I didn’t get the big fight I wanted, but I got the belt I deserved by stopping Zaur Abdullaev and becoming Vasyl Lomachenko’s mandatory challenger to the lightweight world title. Ironically, the big fight never happened because Lomachenko and Top Rank petitioned the WBC not to fight me and award him the franchise title. I then petitioned the WBC to elevate me from interim champion, to full world champion, because Lomachenko chose not to fight me and I had previously beat the highest ranked fighter available,” Haney said. “Let’s make this clear, you can’t win the franchise title and you can’t challenge a franchise champion. I’m 21-years old and I’m the WBC world lightweight champion and I believe in fighting mandatory challengers. The 135 pounds unification runs thru me. Enough said!”

The Las Vegas resident talked more about his future plans. “At this point in my career I don’t mind mandatories at all because it forces the best fighters in my division to get in the ring with me. They can run but they can’t hide. Mandatory for me means mandatory cash. It’s good to be in a stacked division. If I can I’m going to fight all of them. I hope Teofimo Lopez beats Loma and then fights me in a unification for all the belts like he promised Mauricio Sulaiman. To me it looks like Luke Campbell is looking forward to the opportunity of getting beat up by me more than Ryan Garcia is looking forward to it. I’m guessing in Ryan’s defense, he’s never lost so he’s moving a little different and trying to stay undefeated (lol), but I don’t think Eddie Reynosa and Golden Boy really don’t want him to fight me yet. Luke is accustomed to losing big fights, we know he’s come up short more than once. I think he has more of  a ‘I don’t give a damn attitude’ and I’m cool with that too!”

Any other fighters he has an eye on? “As far as Gervonta “Tank” Davis? I don’t like throwing water on a drowning man but leaving a stacked 135 lbs. division, to take a fight at super featherweight kind of tells you where he’s at. It’s no secret I’m a problem at 135 lbs. I know Jose Ramirez ain’t sleeping good at night either, he got Haney at 140 lbs. or Terence Crawford at 147 lbs. problems to think about. I don’t wish that on anybody. Josh Taylor is an easier fight for Ramirez then me or Bud, but it’s still a tough 50/50 fight. Ramirez is out here looking like food on the low.”

And yes, the wider world is on Haney’s radar as well. “This pandemic is something we’ve never seen,” Haney concluded. “It’s tough on everyone around the world. We’ve all been in quarantine for the last few months, including myself, and fortunately staying at home is the best place to be. Similar in many ways to training camp. I pray to GOD things get back to normal soon. I’m anxious to get back in the ring as soon as the experts give the green light. I want all the smoke.”