The successful WBC lightweight title defense Devin Haney scored over game veteran Jorge Linares last Saturday night did not come without adversity. Haney controlled much of the fight before being rocked by a Linares right hand in the closing moments of the 10th round. The punch caused Haney to wobble back to his corner.
The champion survived the final two rounds and received a unanimous decision victory for his efforts. Devin Haney did not need long before identifying the fighter he would like to face next inside a boxing ring.
It is no secret to the boxing world that Haney wants a match to unify the lightweight division against Teofimo Lopez. Teofimo holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.
The two undefeated champions traded jabs outside the ring in the days and weeks leading up to the Haney-Linares matchup. When responding to a question regarding a possible fight with Lopez after the Linares fight, Haney responded, “Let’s do it for all the belts.”
Teofimo Lopez has criticized Haney in the past for not taking the WBC title away from a “real” champion in the ring. Lopez often refers to himself as the undisputed lightweight champion despite Haney’s status as the WBC champ.
The Devin Haney camp has also talked of a boxing match with Ryan Garcia, holder of the minor WBC lightweight title. However, Garcia’s immediate boxing future is a little uncertain after he pulled out of a scheduled July match with Javier Fortuna due to mental health reasons.
The name Gervonta Davis is also on the shortlist of desired opponents for Haney’s next fight. But a move up in weight class and June contest against Mario Barrios for Davis makes it unlikely for him to become Haney’s next opponent.