Stay at 135lb? Step up? Shakur Stevenson or Gervonta 'Tank' Davis? All options are on the table for Devin Haney after he remained undisputed lightweight champion and retained his unbeaten professional record with a points victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko
Monday 22 May 2023 06:19, UK
So, where next for Devin Haney?
Although vanquished opponent Vasiliy Lomachenko's team are planning to appeal against the result of Saturday's undisputed lightweight title showdown which saw Haney keep hold of all four belts via a contentious unanimous decision, the undefeated American is already looking at his next challenge.
The biggest decision Haney - now 30-0 (15) - faces is whether he stays at lightweight or steps up to super-lightweight in pursuit of more belts and post-fight on Saturday, the 24-year-old did not rule anything out.
"Me and my team are going to go back to the house, watch the fight and reflect on it," Haney, who added it has always been tough for him to make weight at the 135lb lightweight limit, said.
"I've been at 135 for a long, long time. This is my 30th fight. I've been here at 135 since I was 16 years old.
"We're going to go back to the lab and figure out what's next."
A potential showdown with the winner of next month's clash between Scotland's WBO champion Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez looms should Haney opt to move up to 140lb.
Remaining at lightweight, meanwhile, would open the door for an all-American bout with Shakur Stevenson or Gervonta 'Tank' Davis.
For his part, Haney believes he and the destructive Davis, who has chalked up 27 stoppages in an unbeaten 29-fight professional career, are destined to meet at some stage.
"I proved I'm a draw in the sport of boxing and proved people want to see me," Haney said.
"Me and Tank is a massive fight and it's going to happen sooner rather than later."
Stevenson was ringside in Las Vegas for the fight against Lomachenko and was among those who were vocal about believing the Ukrainian should have got the nod from the judges rather than Haney.
The 2016 Olympic silver medallist, who has compiled a perfect 20-0 record with 10 stoppages since joining the paid ranks, saw nothing to unduly trouble him in Haney's arsenal and called on the undisputed king to face him next.
"Let's make it happen - I think that should happen next," Stevenson said. "I think Devin's not on my level and I'm going to show it.
"I feel like he's a tough fighter, but it's a high skill level within me and I feel like he's not on my level.
"I can't wait."
Stevenson, a former unified super-featherweight world champion, has lofty ambitions of his own and becoming the first boxer to put one in the 'L' column for Haney would certainly put him on the way to achieving those.
"My ultimate goal is to be one of the best fighters to ever do it and write my name in history books with [Muhammad] Ali, Floyd [Mayweather], Sugar Ray Robinson, Andre Ward - all those guys," Stevenson told Sky Sports News.
"I just want to get to the levels they were on."
