A sly smirk comes across the face of Devin Haney whenever the name Gervonta Davis is brought about.
For years on end, the two have fulminated back and forth in the public eye, with Davis usually ending their conversations with verbal threats. Haney though, regardless of indulging in the consistent trash talk, finds their verbal tirades somewhat extraneous.
If Davis truly believes that he would render the current undisputed lightweight titlist unconscious, a matchup between the two would have materialized already, according to Haney.
“The fight has been built up for years,” said Haney during an interview with Thaboxingvoice. “At the end of the day, if he wants the fight, he can have the fight.”
Davis, 27, was recently spotted sitting ringside, taking in the sights as Andy Ruiz Jr. scored a unanimous decision victory over Luis Ortiz. In the co-main, Isaac Cruz issued his own challenge to Davis.
For the Mexican product, a rematch of their December of 2021 showdown is what he craves above all else. But, in any event, the hard-hitting southpaw has yet to make an official decision regarding his future. Haney, on the other hand, seemingly has a jam-packed schedule.
First up for the newly crowned undisputed titlist, is an immediate rematch against George Kambosos Jr. If their second showdown mirrors their first encounter, Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) could then find himself testing his ring IQ against Vasiliy Lomachenko, provided, of course, he emerges victorious against Jamaine Ortiz on October 29th.
Yet, in spite of a long list of title challengers, Haney is convinced that with one phone call to Gilberto Mendoza, the WBA President, Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) can leapfrog to the front of the line.
“He’s the WBA fake champion," continued Haney. "He has the Mickey Mouse belt. If he wanted to become my mandatory, he can become my mandatory. All he gotta do is go hit Gilberto and tell him ‘hey, we wanna make this fight happen’ and he can become the mandatory whenever he wants.”
Davis, who currently holds the WBA “Regular” lightweight title, has proudly defended his strap on three occasions, the most recent coming against Rolando Romero. Nonetheless, Haney appears unimpressed with the Baltimore native’s secondary trinket.
By all accounts, while focused on the challenge that Kambosos presents come October 16th, Haney reveals that he would be more than willing to hammer out a deal behind the scenes with Davis - quick, fast, and in a hurry.
“I mean, it all starts with George and how that plays out. But obviously, if it makes sense, then that’s the much bigger fight, then that’s the fight that we would really be focused on. But right now, George is the guy and we can’t look past him.”