Devin Haney says he believes the reason promoter Eddie Hearn is saying negative things about him is because he can’t make any more money off of him. He no longer signed for Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing stable.
Hearn’s criticism listed
“Eddie Hearn has said a lot of things over the years. He said I can’t punch. He said Norman would beat me,” Devin Haney said. Boxing King Media. “He said I like to praise myself too much. He’s said a lot of different things over the years, and it just shows his character.”
Hearn recently mentioned that Haney is now fighting for money rather than legacy. He is well paid. What probably made Hearn say this is that Devin chose not to fight Sandor Martin when he held the WBC 140-lb title. Hearn’s comment about Haney not being able to take a punch is based on how he got hurt against Jorge Linares and Ryan Garcia. The way Devin fought after his loss to Ryan and was constantly moving gave the impression that he was afraid of getting hit.
Promoter Sour Grapes?
“When I was with him, he said one thing. Now that I’m no longer with him, he says another. That’s how promoters do it. Once they can’t make any more money and capitalize on you, they get sour. It’s nothing new. It’s not the first time Eddie’s done it, and it won’t be the last,” Haney said.
Hearn just calls it like he sees it. He points out that Devin had a boring performance in his last two fights against Brian Norman Jr. and Jose Ramirez. These are the same things fans are saying. It’s not that Hearn is saying anything that isn’t valid.
Devin held his own against Norman Jr all night and looked like a bigger version of a Sea Lamprey. Not wanting to let go of Norman Jr., he dragged the fight to a crawl and slowed the rounds. In Devin’s previous fight against Ramirez, he ran around the ring for 12 rounds in their fight at Times Square in New York last May.
“I want to fight the best fighters in the world. I want to unify the division. Any one of those champions, I’d love to fight,” Haney said.
The three champions Devin is interested in fighting at 147 do not qualify as one of the “best fighters in the world”. They fit a more accurate description; they are paper champions.
Haney’s 147 target list
The three champions Haney is aiming for 147
- Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero – WBA
- Lew Crocker – IBF
- Mario Barrios – WBC
It’s not like these are fights that will bring in a ton of money for Haney. If he captures one or more of those titles, it gives him leverage to get a better financial deal in the rematch with Ryan Garcia in 2026. If Haney thought he had no chance of beating any of these champions. He wouldn’t target them because he doesn’t want to mess up his rematch with Ryan.
Last updated on 12/01/2025
