Doubts over Keyshawn Davis emerge as Top Rank win bid to stage bout with Devin Haney

LAS VEGAS – Bob Arum’s Top Rank won the Thursday purse bid for rights to promote three-division champion Devin Haney’s WBO welterweight title defense versus unbeaten former lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis. The $8.55 million bid blew away the only other offer of $2.35 million by Teofimo Lopez’s Takeover Promotions.

Lopez’s involvement is curious given his own attempt to become a welterweight champion while fighting WBA champion Rolly Romero on August 22 in Las Vegas. 

Regardless, Top Rank informed the WBO in its bid letter that it would stage the fight October 3, with New York’s Barclays Center, Las Vegas’ Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay and Atlanta’s State Farm Arena all under consideration as the venue.

The WBO stipulates 75 per cent of the purse money ($6.4125 million, in this case) goes to champion Haney, 33-0 (15 KOs), and 25 per cent ($2.1375 million) will go to Davis, 15-0 (10 KOs).

WBO President Gustavo Olivieri said Top Rank’s Davis has 48 hours to confirm in writing “his willingness, readiness and availability to go forward with the fight.”

Davis’ representatives did not immediately respond to messages left by BoxingScene Thursday following a Wednesday report by Dan Rafael that “the deal is done on the Haney side” and that “the issue is the multiple millions apart between Top Rank’s offer to Davis and what he is asking for.”

The fight must be completed within 90 days of Thursday – essentially by the start of November – Olivieri said.