Las Vegas: Undisputed lightweight world champion Devin Haney has reportedly agreed to step up a weight division and challenge WBC world super-lightweight world champion Regis Prograis according to reports from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger.
A deal between the pair has reportedly been agreed upon for October 28th with the contest set to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Haney recently defended his undisputed lightweight world titles with a narrow unanimous points decision victory over Vasyl Lomachenko in May in Las Vegas. Haney, pre and post-fight did not hide his intentions that he wished to move up a weight division regardless of the result of his fight with Lomachenko.
Earlier on Friday, Haney had confirmed to the WBC that he wished to move up to the 140lb division and face Prograis ahead of a deadline which had been imposed by the WBC regarding Haney notifying the organisation of which division his future lies in.
However, Haney’s team is looking for the WBC to allow Haney to keep the lightweight world title, while still facing Regis Prograis, meaning Haney would have a chance to hold two world titles in two weight classes simultaneously.
Mandatory challenger, Shakur Stevenson, is set to petition the WBC in protest of Haney’s move, with the former super-featherweight world champion wanting Haney to relinquish or be stripped of his world titles if Haney steps up to the super-lightweight division.
Stevenson responded on Twitter when news broke of Haney’s decision in regards to still retaining his world titles by saying the following.
“I respect the WBC and Mauricio but come on now y’all can’t allow him not to fight me move up in weight and hold the belts.. That don’t even make sense!”
The WBC Board of Governors will settle the dispute between Haney’s wishes and Stevenson’s objection and will announce at a future date if they will allow Haney to keep his lightweight world title for the time being.
Prograis would pick up the WBC super-lightweight world title following former undisputed world champion Josh Taylor relinquishing the WBC title along with the WBA & IBF world titles due to injury following his controversial victory over Jack Catterall in February 2022. Prograis would face Jose Zepeda for the vacant title in Carson, California and would claim a tenth-round stoppage to secure the second world title of his career.
2023 would see Prograis sign a promotional agreement with Matchroom Boxing which will see the two-time world champion fight on the DAZN streaming service. Regis’s maiden defence of his WBC world title came in June in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. Prograis would labour to a split decision win over Danielito Zorrilla, despite Prograis scoring a knockdown in round three of the contest.
