Devin Haney’s comeback fight from the Ryan Garcia loss was intriguing enough for Top Rank on Tuesday to make a $2.42 million bid to stage Haney’s mandatory WBC super-lightweight title defense against Spain’s Sandor Martin.
Now it’s just a matter if Haney wants the fight.
In social-media comments on X, the former undisputed lightweight champion coming off a three-knockdown defeat at the hands of performance-enhancing-drug-positive Garcia on April 20 indicated he’s not pleased with the winning bid.
“Wow Matchroom … nasty work,” Haney (31-1, 15 KOs) said on X in reference to one of his former promoters who went silent during the purse bid. “I should’ve bid myself.”
According to the WBC’s purse split rules, Haney would receive just over $1.5 million for the bout and can petition for more given his position of popularity while Martin would earn more than $600,000.
Considering he’s earned at least a combined $15 million for his past two bouts, Haney also said, “I had all da belts already,” in a reply to a post by ESPN boxing writer Mike Coppinger.
Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said he was pleased to secure the bout given the likely interest in how Haney, 25, will perform following the battering he took from Garcia at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Haney’s loss may get changed to a no-contest when the New York State Athletic Commission convenes by the end of this week to determine Garcia’s discipline for two positive pre-fight tests for the banned performance-enhancing substance Ostarine.
“It’s an attractive fight. That’s why we put the bid in,” Arum said. “You don’t bid unless you believe you’ll be putting the fight on. It’s not like Haney’s got a lot of titles if he chooses to walk away from this one.”
Haney could also choose to retain his belt by extending a step-aside offer to Martin, but that would require at least $300,000, one boxing official involved in the deal told BoxingScene.
Haney and his father-trainer-manager, Bill Haney, did not immediately respond to messages left for them.
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn said recently he doesn’t expect Haney to keep the WBC belt he won by defeating former 140-pound champion Regis Prograis in a dominant showing in December.
“The WBC belt is going to become vacant and Sandor Martin v. someone will take place,” Hearn told video reporter Sean Zittel. “One-hundred percent, he’s not going to fight Sandor Martin. Who’s going to pay for that?”
Hearn predicted that Martin (42-3, 15 KOs) “will want to fight for the world title. Unless Devin boxes that off quickly, you’ve got to take a tiny payday for that, and I don’t think Devin’s all about that.”
Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti said he wasn’t ready to project when Haney-Martin would take place.
“(Haney) has to sign the contract first,” Moretti said by text message Tuesday.
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