Promoter Eddie Hearn is trying to put together a fight between lightweight titleholder Devin Haney and Luke Campbell in August or September.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on DAZN.com.
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Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn is beginning to put the pieces together for future fights as boxing heads toward operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the first fights Hearn is aiming to put together on American soil is a lightweight showdown between titleholder Devin Haney and Luke Campbell.
Hearn revealed his intentions in an interview with BoxingScene.com.
“Ideally I want to make Devin Haney against Ryan Garcia,” Hearn said. “I think that is a monstrous fight. But that might take a bit longer to be made, so if we can make Haney against Luke Campbell, that is a great fight.”
Haney and Garcia have been on a collision course for several years as two of the brightest young talents in the sport. Haney stepped into the ring to challenge his rival after Garcia’s first-round knockout of Francisco Fonseca back in February.
Although both fighters seem to be keen on a potential showdown, there doesn’t seem to be a rush to pair the two at the moment. Instead, Hearn aims to give Campbell an opportunity to hand Haney his first loss as a professional.
Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to lightweight titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko last August. Campbell was set to face Javier Fortuna for the vacant WBC title in April after Haney was declared champion in recess while sidelined with an injury. But that fight was scrapped when the coronavirus pandemic struck the sporting world.
With Haney now having ample time to heal, he has been reinstated as champion and could make a defense of his title later this summer.
“It’s a bit of a mess, really,” Hearn said. “Luke has been ordered to fight Javier Fortuna for the world title, now the interim world title, but because of the delay, Devin Haney is back and ready to go.
“I’d rather they fight each other. Luke seems up for it, Devin Haney seems up for it, and that is a fight I will try and make for August or September.”
Vasiliy Lomachenko plans to fight Teofimo Lopez in a lightweight title-unification bout in the fall on pay-per-view.
To hell with easy fights.
First Errol Spence Jr. decided to defend his welterweight title against Danny Garcia in the fall even though he was in a horrific car accident in October. Now, according to ESPN, Vasiliy Lomachenko plans to fight Teofimo Lopez in a lightweight title-unification bout in the fall on pay-per-view.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum spoke with ESPN after talking to the handlers of both fighters.
“In talking with Lomachenko and Lopez, neither of them want an interim fight,” Arum said. “So we would plan to do that in September, with or without an audience.”
Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager, confirmed that his fighter wants Lopez and will do it without spectators if the coronavirus threat requires it.
“Nothing matters, as long as Lopez is coming in the ring with Lomachenko,” Klimas told ESPN.
Vasiliy Lomachenko (left) outpointed Luke Campbell to retain his lightweight title in August. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Teofimo Lopez Sr., the fighter’s father, evidently feels the same way.
“One-hundred percent,” the elder Lopez said. “We don’t need no tune-ups. We are focused with Lomachenko. That’s all we want … Lomachenko.”
Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) is Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound. The supremely gifted two-time Olympic champion has won major titles in three divisions in only 15 fights.
The 32-year-old Ukrainian is coming off a one-sided decision over Luke Campbell in August, his third defense of the 135-pound title he won by stopping Jorge Linares in May 2018.
Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) is an honorable mention on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list even though he’s only 22. The slick, big-punching Honduran-American won his first major title when he stopped Richard Commey in two rounds in December.
Lomachenko and Lopez were in discussions earlier this year to fight on May 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York City but those plans were put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The WBC has reinstated Devin Haney as its lightweight champion four months after declaring him “champion in recess.”
The WBC has reinstated Devin Haney as its lightweight champion.
Haney, who became titleholder when Vasiliy Lomachenko was elevated to “franchise champion” in October, shut out Alfredo Santiago in his first title defense the following month but he injured his shoulder in the process. The injury required surgery that precluded him from defending against No. 1 challenger Javier Fortuna.
Thus, the sanctioning body declared Haney “champion in recess.” The WBC then ordered Fortuna and Luke Campbell to fight for the vacant title. However, that fight never gained traction because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Haney petitioned the WBC to reinstate him as champion. And it finally did. Haney reportedly also was given the right to make a voluntary defense.
Fortuna and Campbell are now expected to fight for the “interim” title, with the winner in line to face Haney for the full title if Haney wins his tune-up.
Devin Haney said he has ‘learned a valuable lesson’ as a result of his ‘white boy’ comment and the subsequent reaction.
Devin Haney, it appears, has grown as a person.
The unbeaten lightweight created a firestorm when he was asked during a YouTube Live session about the prospect of facing Ukrainian star Vasiliy Lomachenko and gave a response that he now regrets:
“I can tell you this: I will never lose to a white boy in my life,” said Haney, who is black. “I don’t care what nobody got to say. Listen, can’t no white boy beat me. I don’t care, on any day of the week. I fight a white boy like 10 times, I’m gonna beat him 10 times.”
A few days later he responded to criticism by saying “I’m not racist and I never will be a racist.” On Tuesday he took another, more humble step.
“Over the last couple days I’ve had time to reflect on a lot,” Haney said in a public statement. “I sincerely regret using a term that I have now learned to be derogatory to many of my fans, friends and associates.”
He went on: “I have learned a valuable lesson and I will continue to show the kind of person that I really am and will continue my quest for greatness inside and outside the ring.”
Lomachenko was scheduled to fight fellow titleholder Teofimo Lopez on May 30 but that fight was postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus.
Haney won the WBC 135-pound title by shutting out Alfredo Santiago in October but was declared “champion in recess” when he had to have shoulder surgery and couldn’t defend against No. 1 challenger Javier Fortuna.
The WBC then ordered Fortuna and Luke Campbell to fight for the vacant title but that fight never happened because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Haney petitioned the WBC to reinstate him as champion.
Devin Haney responded to criticism of his ‘white boy’ comment by Tweeting, ‘I’m not racist and I never will be a racist.’
Devin Haney has taken criticism over his “white boy” comments seriously.
The unbeaten was asked during a YouTube Live session about the prospect of facing Ukrainian star Vasiliy Lomachenko, the fighter many believe is the No. 1 fighter in the world pound-for-pound.
“I can tell you this: I will never lose to a white boy in my life,” Haney said. “I don’t care what nobody got to say. Listen, can’t no white boy beat me, I don’t care, on any day of the week. I fight a white boy like 10 times, I’m gonna beat him 10 times.”
Haney, who is black, was criticized on social media for injecting race into the otherwise typical trash-talk conversations.
The 21-year-old responded with two Tweets.
He wrote in the first: “I’m not racist and I never will be a racist. I’m chasing greatness.
And in the second: “I just had a very positive conversation with Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the WBC, and confirmed to him directly my commitment to be a role model and my absolute rejection of discrimination of any kind.” Sulaiman “liked” the second Tweet.
Lomachenko was scheduled to fight fellow titleholder Teofimo Lopez on May 30 but that fight was postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus.
Haney won the WBC 135-pound title by shutting out Alfredo Santiago in October but was declared “champion in recess” when he had to have shoulder surgery and couldn’t defend against No. 1 challenger Javier Fortuna.
The WBC then ordered Fortuna and Luke Campbell to fight for the vacant title but that fight never happened because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Haney petitioned the WBC to reinstate him as champion.
Devin Haney took trash talk with Vasiliy Lomachenko to the next level when he said ‘I’ll never lose to a white boy in my life.’
Devin Haney took trash talk with Vasiliy Lomachenko to the next level.
Haney, the unbeaten lightweight, was asked during a YouTube Live session about the prospect of facing the fighter many believe is No. 1 pound-for-pound.
“I can tell you this: I will never lose to a white boy in my life,” Haney said. “I don’t care what nobody got to say. Listen, can’t no white boy beat me, I don’t care, on any day of the week. I fight a white boy like 10 times, I’m gonna beat him 10 times.”
Haney, who is black, and Lomachenko, who is white, have also exchanged barbs on Instagram but their rivalry probably will be limited to words until some things are sorted out.
Lomachenko was scheduled to fight fellow titleholder Teofimo Lopez on May 30 but that fight was postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus.
Haney won the WBC 135-pound title by shutting out Alfredo Santiago in October but was declared “champion in recess” when he had to have shoulder surgery and couldn’t defend against No. 1 challenger Javier Fortuna.
The WBC then ordered Fortuna and Luke Campbell to fight for the vacant title but that fight never happened because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Haney petitioned the WBC to reinstate him as champion.
Devin Haney has been reinstated as lightweight titleholder by the WBC, according to a report.
Devin Haney reportedly has been reinstated as lightweight titleholder.
The WBC designated the unbeaten 21-year-old “champion in recess” in December when he couldn’t defend his belt against mandatory challenger Javier Fortuna, who was scheduled to fight Luke Campbell for the vacant title.
Haney appealed and the WBC reinstated him, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed to BoxingScene.com on Tuesday. Obviously, the break in the action because of the coronavirus pandemic worked in Haney’s favor.
Negotiations with Fortuna broke off when Haney had shoulder surgery, which he said would keep him out of the ring for six months.
As “champion in recess,” Haney would’ve retained the right to fight for his belt when he was physically able to do so.
Fortuna and Campbell were scheduled to fight for the title on April 17 in Oxon Hill, Maryland but all combat sports events have been banned since COVID-19 took hold.
“I feel like they should reinstate me,” Haney told BoxingScene.com before filing his appeal. “I was stripped because they felt I wouldn’t be active to fight my mandatory. But the two [top contenders] never fought.
“So what sense does that make? If I’m ready to fight the mandatories … let’s make this happen.”
Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) won the interim WBC 135-pound title when he stopped Zaur Abdullaev in four rounds last September and was upgraded to full titleholder when Vasiliy Lomachenko was designated “franchise champion.”
Haney successfully defended by shutting out Alfredo Santiago in November.
Former junior welterweight titleholders Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker will meet on April 17 in Oxon Hill, Maryland on DAZN.
The rebuilding process for Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker reportedly will begin against one another.
The former junior welterweight titleholders, who lost their belts and the zeroes in their loss columns last year, will meet on April 17 at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on DAZN, according to BoxingScene.com.
Also on the card, Luke Campbell will face Javier Fortuna for a vacant lightweight title.
Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs) lost a close majority decision and his title to Josh Taylor on Oct. 26 in London. The New Orleans native was knocking on the door of pound-for-pound recognition going into that fight.
Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs) was less effective against Jose Ramirez on July 27 in Arlington, Texas, losing his title by a sixth-round TKO. The Dallas product rebounded with a first-round knockout of Uriel Perez in December.
Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) is coming off a one-sided decision loss to lightweight titleholder and pound-for-pound king Vassiliy Lomachenko on Aug. 31 in London. He is from Hull, in northern England.
Fortuna (35-2-1, 24 KOs) has beaten Sharif Bogere (UD 10) and Jesus Cuellar (TKO 2) since he lost a split decision to then-lightweight titleholder Robert Easter in January 2018. Forunta is Dominican.
Ryan Garcia still has a lot to prove but first-round knockouts — like the one he turned in Saturday — generate excitement.
GOOD
Ryan Garcia’s one-punch knockout of Francisco Fonseca only 1 minute, 20 seconds into their lightweight fight Friday doesn’t prove much because Fonseca is nothing special.
The excitement Garcia created with his second consecutive first-round stoppage is genuine, though. He’s blossoming into a potential star. That’s what happens when your results in the ring start to catch up to the hype.
Indeed, almost any fighter would love to be in Garcia’s position.
Of course, he still has a long way to go. Only 21, he still hasn’t faced a legitimate threat. Only a true test can give us an idea of how good Garcia truly is and can be.
It could come soon. Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, is eyeing a matchup between Garcia and former three-division titleholder Jorge Linares in July. If Garcia can win that fight – a big if, in my opinion – he will have made a strong statement.
I wonder whether Garcia’s handlers would live to regret the decision to fight the gifted Linares, who demonstrated in his fourth-round knockout of Carlos Morales on the Garcia-Fonseca card that he has more to give, but I would applaud the bold move.
Garcia, bubbling with confidence, definitely thinks big. He reeled off immediately after his stoppage of Fonseca a gauntlet of opponents he’d like to face in the near future – Linares, Luke Campbell, Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney.
That’s quite a gauntlet he’s laid out for himself. We’ll see how many of them – if any – he fights and how he performs once he does.
In the meantime, Garcia has our attention. That’s more than all but a few professional boxers can say.
BAD
Referee Jack Reiss watches closely as a wild ending to the Abel Ramos-Bryant Perrella fight unfolds. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
The last-second stoppage of the Abel Ramos-Bryant Perrella fight on the Caleb Plant-Vincent Feigenbutz card Saturday in Nashville might’ve seemed cruel to Perrella, who was winning on all cards when he lost in an instant.
The fact is referee Jack Reiss was following the rules.
According to the Unified Rules of Boxing, under which that bout was fought, “A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the final round.” That means, if I understand it correctly, an injured boxer must be in condition to fight even if the three minutes of the last round has expired.
Reiss judged that Perrella, who had gone down twice in the final seconds, was in no condition to continue and waved off the fight.
The frustration expressed by Perrella’s cornerman Michael Nowling in the ring immediately after the stoppage was understandable: “We won every round and they took it from us with 1 second left.”
The rules took it from Perrella, not “they.” And not Reiss. The referee, as trainer and TV analyst Joe Goossen said, isn’t a timekeeper. His job is to look after the welfare of the combatants in the ring with him and follow the rules.
That’s what Reiss did. Good stoppage.
WORSE
Vincent Feigenbutz (left) didn’t have the tools to compete with Caleb Plant on Saturday night. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
It seems to me that sanctioning bodies are supposed to have a champion and then rank the next 10 best contenders in each division.
The reality? The alphabet organizations rank their contenders based less on merit than on how much money they can make. The result of that is a matchup like Caleb Plant vs. Vincent Feigenbutz for Plant’s IBF super middleweight title.
Feigenbutz, ranked No. 1 by the IBF, is a strong, sturdy young man but he had no business in the ring with a fighter of Plant’s ability. The fact he was the mandatory challenger is yet another red flag that the system is a mess.
Plant’s title defense, which ended by 10th-round knockout, couldn’t even be described as a competitive fight. Feigenbutz, an eight-year pro, has rudimentary skills and courage but not the tools to give the titleholder a legitimate challenge. Aren’t title fights supposed to be competitive at least on paper?
Anyone watching that fight who didn’t feel sorry for the German in the latter rounds has no heart. And anyone not disgusted with the IBF has no sense.
Sadly, there is no solution is sight. Some sort of oversight body – ideally an international one – might help but that isn’t going to happen any time soon. I personally try to minimize the sanctioning bodies by mentioning them infrequently but that’s only a small gesture.
We’re stuck with the murky alphabet soup and mismatches like Plant-Feigenbutz. I just hope fans can see through their self-serving game.
