Bradley has been consistent on this point. Haney doesn’t just beat opponents. He changes how they see themselves. The record shows a decision loss. The damage, Bradley argues, emerges later.
He first pointed to George Kambosos Jr. Before Haney, Kambosos was a unified lightweight champion with momentum and belief. Haney hit him twice. After that, Bradley says, the blueprint was out. The surprise factor was gone. Kambosos kept fighting, but the edge never quite came back.
Regis Prograis is another example that Bradley returns to. Prograis was dropped, controlled and boxed over twelve rounds in 2023. The loss didn’t end his career, but it did force a recovery. Different expectations. A quieter trajectory. A fighter recalibrated where he actually stood.
Bradley even includes Vasiliy Lomachenko. In his telling, Lomachenko walked away after losing to Haney because he had come to a personal conclusion. “He retired after losing to Haney,” Bradley said. “Deebo Dev is real.”
The most telling sign, Bradley believes, is how fighters are behaving now. Extra clauses. Rehydration limits. Hesitation. Haney has become a battle that people want protection from, not opportunities through.
Bradley joked that Haney retired more fighters than Social Security. It was said lightly, but the point landed. Haney is no longer fired. He’s treated as a problem with consequences, and opponents seem to know it before the bell even rings. Fighters seem to understand the risk now, even before the contract stage.
