Devin Haney Wins WBC Title vs. Prograis, Dominates Judges’ Scorecards in Boxing Fight | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
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Devin Haney introduced himself to the junior welterweight division with a unanimous decision win over Regis Prograis to capture the WBC championship belt on Saturday night from the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The contrasting styles were apparent early in the fight. Prograis is known for his power and he let his hands go a few times in the early rounds, but Haney mostly controlled the distance and led the dance.
The first major shot of the fight was fired in the third round. Haney found a home for a sharp straight right that put Rougaru on the canvas. Prograis beat the count, but Haney showcased some new power with the move up to 140 pounds.
It wasn’t just power that carried the day for Haney, though. The speed disparity was wide and Haney was able to consistently fire off two to three punches and move out of the way before Prograis could counter.
Haney nearly scored another knockdown in the sixth round. Another right hand wobbled the 34-year-old as Haney didn’t even allow his opponent to have moments in the fight.
Haney looked so good at the heavier weight that it led some to wonder out loud how long it will be before we see him take the next step up to 147 pounds.
Francisco A. Salazar @FSalazarBoxing
I don’t know if this is being said, or has been said, Haney looks like a welterweight in the ring tonight. I wonder how long he stays at 140 pounds before moving up to welterweight .. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/boxing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#boxing</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/HaneyPrograis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#HaneyPrograis</a>
The final round were just a competition to see if Prograis could survive. Haney already made his statement with a comprehensive performance but wasn’t able to get the finish. That certainly didn’t detract from the fact that he made it known he’s going to be a problem for any junior welterweight.
The win starts Haney’s run as a 140-pounder after a run at lightweight with all four belts around his waist as the division’s undisputed champion.
Now, at 25 years old, he has his eyes set on another weight class.
Haney made his final defense of the fourth lightweight belts in a unanimous decision victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko. A potential superfight against Gervonta Davis would have been a huge tentpole event, but Haney intimated that Davis wasn’t interested before giving up his belts.
“I did everything at 135 that I could,” Haney told reporters. “The biggest fight for me was making that Gervonta Davis fight, and his side showed no interest in making the fight. I’ve outgrown the division, so now I make my quest to 140 to become a two-division champion.”
The new weight class opens up a whole new set of possibilities for the California native.
For one, a bout with Teofimo Lopez Jr. could be a blockbuster next year. The two have had some verbal sparring and now that Haney has followed Lopez into the 140-pound division the matchup is closer to reality.
Lopez briefly retired after his last bout—a unanimous decision win over Josh Taylor—but announced that he was unretiring and interested in a fight against Haney on X, formerly known as Twitter, in July.
Lopez is still the WBO champion in the division and seems to be angling for a fight with IBF champion Subriel Matias in early 2024.
If Haney could swing a fight with the winner of that hypothetical he’s only going to see his stock go up and continue to move up pound-for-pound lists.
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