Dsalita The purse bids for Devin Haney’s upcoming fight against mandatory challenger Sandor Martin are set for June 18th.
Haney, with a record of 31-1 and 15 KOs, must make a decision regarding whether to vacate his title, take the fight, or offer Martin a step-aside payment as his mandatory challenger is due for the title he won in December. However, Martin, with a record of 42-3 and 15 KOs, is unlikely to agree to step aside unless he is offered enough compensation.
If the fight goes ahead, it will be intriguing to see if Haney is still regarded as undefeated. It wouldn’t look good if Haney claimed to be unbeaten when everyone witnessed his embarrassing loss last April.
There is speculation about Haney’s ability to withstand punches after his recent loss to Ryan Garcia. If his chin has been weakened, he may struggle against Martin and risk a knockout, which could be devastating for his career.
Haney’s father, Bill Haney, has remained silent on the potential fight with Martin, leading to doubts about whether it will happen. The match is considered risky for Haney as a loss could set his career back significantly, especially as he may not be able to return to the lightweight division.
Moving up to the welterweight division could be a potential escape route for Haney, but he would need to do it quickly to challenge WBC champion Mario Barrios before facing tough competition like Jaron Ennis or Brian Norman Jr. Capturing the WBC title at 147 lbs could be a strategic move for Haney to entice Ryan Garcia for a rematch in the future, as fighting at 140 or a catchweight is not viable for him.
