The deal is done for what will be Devin Haney’s first fight in almost exactly a year.
BoxingScene.com has learned DAZN and Matchroom Boxing will announce soon that, as expected, Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) will defend his WBC world lightweight title against Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-3, 18 KOs) on November 7. The site of their 12-round, 135-pound championship match will be revealed as part of that announcement.
Jesse Rodriguez, Gamboa’s manager, confirmed last week to El Nuevo Herald that Haney and Gamboa had reached an agreement for this optional title defense for Haney (https://www.boxingscene.com/devin-haney-vs-yuriorkis-gamboa-deal-place-says-manager--151854).
The 21-year-old Haney hasn’t fought since last November 9, when he defeated Dominican challenger Alfredo Santiago (12-1, 4 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 12-rounder at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Las Vegas’ Haney suffered a dislocated right shoulder during that victory, which required surgery in mid-December.
The talented Haney will return to the ring against a 38-year-old opponent who was stopped in the 12th round of his last bout by Gervonta Davis.
Baltimore’s Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) dropped the Cuban-born Gamboa three times – once apiece in the second, eighth and 12th rounds – before their fight for the then-vacant WBA world lightweight title was stopped last December 28 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Davis was way ahead on all three scorecards when their bout was stopped (109-97, 109-98, 109-98).
Gamboa suffered a tear to his right Achilles tendon during the second round of his loss to Davis, which reportedly required surgery.
Haney will make the second defense of a version of the WBC’s lightweight title he won by stopping Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (12-1, 8 KOs) after the fourth round of their September 2019 bout at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York.
Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) won the WBC world lightweight title less than two weeks before Haney beat Abdullaev. The WBC later declared Ukraine’s Lomachenko, who defeated England’s Luke Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) by unanimous decision in August 2019 at O2 Arena in London, as its franchise lightweight champion and elevated Haney from interim champion to world champion.
Gamboa, who has won world titles in three weight classes, is the WBC’s 10th-ranked contender for Haney’s title.
Lomachenko, meanwhile, and Brooklyn’s Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) are scheduled to fight for Lomachenko’s WBA “super” and WBO belts and Lopez’s IBF title October 17 at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas (ESPN).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
