Devin Haney vowed to take two years off boxing following a WBC purse bid fiasco that left the super lightweight champion considering his position.
“The Dream” looks on the verge of dropping his 140-pound belt after Top Rank won the rights to stage the show with a bid under his usual paycheck. Haney usually commands over $3 million for his fights, which he got far more for recently facing Ryan Garcia in New York.
However, Top Rank secured an ordered purse bid for a mandatory defense against Sandor Martin without any competition. Haney, who kept his WBC title despite losing to Garcia due to his opponent not making weight, was not happy as the WBC outlined the outcome.
Haney vs Martin WBC purse bid
“This Tuesday, during our weekly press conference, the WBC held a purse bid to define the rights to organize the mandatory fight in the super lightweight division between Devin Haney [31-1-0, 15 knockouts] and Spanish challenger Sandor Martin [42-3-0, 15 knockouts]. Top Rank was the promotion company that won the rights to carry out the fight with a bid of USD 2,420,000.
“One of the most innovative WBC rules that will be used in this fight is the 10% bonus for the winner, which is equivalent to USD 242,000.”
Haney reacted by questioning why Eddie Hearn didn’t bid for the fight.
“Wow, Matchroom, nasty work,” he said before going off on a social media rant, including a dig at WBC-ranked Alberto Puello. Eventually, Haney decided to walk away from the sport for a while ahead of a ruling over the Garcia drug test situation.
“I’m going to take some time, spend some of my money, and travel the world,” stated Haney. “I’ll be back in two years after Ryan’s suspension, and we can fight again.”
Garcia will discover his fate this week as the New York State Athletic Commission closes in on a decision over his two failed tests for ostarine. Two years is the minimum Garcia can expect unless more evidence comes to light.
At present, what is on the table doesn’t seem sufficient for a Garcia reprieve, including allegations of tampering by Team Haney, who want the result of the April 20 clash overturned.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
