Devin Haney (22-0, 14 KOs) delivered a knockout of the year candidate with his seventh round KO of Antonio Moran (24-4, 17 KOs) on May 25, 2019 at the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Haney promised fireworks and delivered just that in his first appearance on DAZN streaming service, and as the main event.
The knockout came in the seventh round on a perfectly timed right hand that was set up with his quick jab.
BOOM 🔥#HaneyMoran pic.twitter.com/sGQk4KWqaK
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) May 26, 2019
Haney is rated by all four major sanctioning bodies as follows: WBC No. 4, WBA No. 4, IBF No. 9, WBO No. 7.
He is a rising star there’s no doubt about it, what path should he take, and who should he fight next?
Zaur Abdullaev
FightNewsAsia.com
Zaur Abdullaev (11-0, 7 KOs) is the WBC number two contender.
He isn’t a huge name, and the biggest win on his resume is a unanimous decision over Hank Lundy (29-6-1, 14 KOs).
However, this would be another step in the right direction for Devin Haney. He can continue climbing the WBC rankings and if the four-man tournament is in place this would be his opponent.
Jose Pedraza
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Jose Pedraza (26-2, 13 KOs) is a former world champion and a big name in the division.
Pedraza is the WBO number six contender and number seven in the WBC. His two losses came at the hands of Vasiliy Lomanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs), and Gervonta Davis (21-0, 20 KOs).
Pedraza is a battle-tested veteran and has no problem fighting the best in the division.
Devin Haney vs. Pedraza would be a great fight for both men that want to reach the top of the division. Each fighter could use this bout to catapult them to the top of rankings.
George Kambosos Jr.
Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
George Kambosos Jr. (16-0, 9 KOs) is the fifth-ranked contender by the IBF.
Kambosos Jr. is an undefeated fighter out of Australia that needs to bolster his resume to continue climbing the IBF rankings. A fight with Devin Haney would give him the opportunity to make his name known in the U.S and in the division.
Devin Haney vs. Kambosos Jr. makes sense if Haney wants to pursue a chance at the IBF title.
Rances Barthelemy (WBA)
Leo Wilson/Premier Boxing Champions
Rances Barthelemy (27-1-1, 14 KOs) is the number one ranked contender by the WBA.
Barthelemy is coming off of a split decision draw vs. Robert Easter Jr (21-1-1, 14 KOs). As of now, he remains the number one contender by the WBA, but it doesn’t seem like a title fight with Lomachenko is happening any time soon.
With that being the case, Haney vs. Barthelemy would be a great fight for both fighters. Barthelemy needs to stay active while pursuing his WBA title shot, and Haney needs to continue climbing the rankings.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Notice the other young star in the division was not named?
That would be Teofimo Lopez (13-0, 11 KOs), Bob Arum has announced Lopez will not partake in a WBC four-man tournament that would give the winner a title shot against the winner of Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Luke Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs).
Instead, Lopez is going the IBF route seeking a future bout with their champion, Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KOs).
Haney vs. Lopez would be a great fight to make, but don’t expect to hear that to happen any time soon.
Who would you want to see Devin Haney fight next?
