Devin Haney conquered one division, becoming the undisputed 135-pound champion at the age of 23. Can he take over another?
Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) hopes to take the first step in that process when he challenges WBC 140-pound Regis Prograis on pay-per-view Saturday night at Chase Center in San Francisco.
The challenger certainly isn’t lacking for confidence.
“I’m going to beat the s— out of him,” he said at a news conference to promote the event.
Will he?
No one doubts his skill set. He boxed his way to the pinnacle of the lightweight division, outpointing George Kambosos Jr. to claim all four major belts, repeating his victory in the rematch and then defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in a close fight.
However, he did it while demonstrating little punching power. He has gone seven fights without a knockout, a stretch that goes back to his fourth-round stoppage of Zaur Abdullaev in 2019.
And now he’s moving up in weight to take on a talented two-time 140-pound titleholder in Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs).
How will Haney adjust to the new weight? Does he have enough oomph in his punches to keep Prograis honest? Can he take a punch from a junior welterweight? These are legitimate questions going into the fight.
Haney suggested that his fans have nothing to worry about. He said he’ll be stronger at 140 than he was at 135, in part because he doesn’t have to battle to make weight.
“I want to see how Regis takes my punch,” Haney told ESPN. “… I think Regis will be shocked [by my power]. I think the world will be shocked.”
Haney’s certainly isn’t afraid to take risks.
He hasn’t faced an easy touch in years. His last six opponents were Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares, Joseph Diaz Jr., Kambosos (twice) and Lomachenko, all of whom have held major world titles.
He could’ve faced a marginal opponent to ease his way into his new division. Instead, he didn’t hesitate to challenge a respected champion.
“I want to fight the best fighters in the world,” Haney told ESPN. “I’m 25 years old now and I’m only getting better, I’m only getting stronger, I’m only getting more comfortable in the ring. So why go backwards?”
We’ll see which direction Haney goes on Saturday.