By Jake Donovan
Devin Haney was prepared to enter his next fight as part of a major fight week in his Las Vegas hometown.
He now gets to be the star of the show.
The unbeaten rising lightweight has been locked in for a mid-September showdown versus fellow undefeated contender Zaur Abdullaev. Their title eliminator was due to take place on the eve of a September 14 card in Las Vegas featuring World middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, whose change in plans allows this fight to now occupy the prime date.
“September 14, it’s looking like for Devin,” promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed over the weekend for the upcoming bout, which will stream live on DAZN. “We wanted to bring (Haney) to Vegas for a while. He’s going to be a multi-weight world champion.”
The first step will be getting him to a title, which is the purpose of his next bout.
Haney (22-0, 14KOs) made a major statement in his DAZN debut, scoring a highlight reel 7th round knockout of Antonio Moran this past May in Oxon Hill, Md. In a way, the show mirrored to his upcoming showcase slot as he was advanced to the main event once World cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk was forced to withdraw after suffering a torn biceps injury ahead of his planned heavyweight debut versus Carlos Takam.
For the second straight time, he gets to command the spotlight in the wake of compromised plans. The original blueprint called for a tentatively scheduled September 13 date for his showdown with Russia’s Abdullaev (11-0, 7KOs), as Hearn and DAZN wanted to capitalize on the sea of publicity that comes with Alvarez fighting in Vegas on a weekend dedicated to honoring Mexican Independence Day.
Those plans have significantly shifted, as Alvarez (52-1-2, 35KOs) failed to secure an opponent in time to preserve the date and properly promote such an event. As he is now looking towards a ring return in late October, it opens the door for Haney and his handlers to market him as the star attraction they firmly believe he can become.
“He’s a shy guy, but he’s an absolute superstar,” insists Hearn, a line he’s repeated ever since signing the 20-year old prodigious talent earlier this year. “The traction he’s got since his win over Antonio Moran. He wants (unified lightweight titlist Vasiliy) Lomachenko now. I’m trying to slow him down.”
Haney will get his wish, assuming he prevails versus Abdullaev and Lomachenko emerges victorious in his three-belt collision with England’s Luke Campbell on August 31 in London.
Regardless of how the former fight turns out, the September 14 winner will become the mandatory challenger waiting in the wings. Given his age and size, there’s no time like the present for the rising star to pursue such an opportunity.
“The time is right now,” Haney insisted during a recent DAZN interview over the weekend. “135 is not ready for me to make at all. It takes a lot of sacrifice. After winning a world title, I want to move up to 140.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox