NEW YORK, NY — The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has officially thrown a wrench into Devin Haney’s summer plans.
The sanctioning body’s Championship Committee has issued a mandatory directive ordering undefeated titleholder Devin Haney to begin immediate negotiations for a defense against the newly minted number-one contender, Keyshawn Davis.
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri issued the formal 20-day negotiation window to Haney’s manager, Bill Haney, and Davis’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank. Should the two camps fail to agree on terms within the allotted timeframe, the fight will immediately head to a purse bid, with a standard financial split of 75% favoring the champion and 25% allocated to the challenger.
Haney (33-0, 15 KOs), who captured the WBO 147-pound title last November by outclassing Brian Norman Jr. in Riyadh, had recently been utilizing social media to tease a 144-pound catchweight clash with Shakur Stevenson. However, the WBO’s strict ruling curtails those exploratory avenues, forcing Haney to either defend his crown or vacate it.
The order marks a meteoric rise for Davis (15-0, 10 KOs). The 2020 Olympic silver medalist officially announced his move to the welterweight division following a convincing victory over Nahir Albright in May.
With other high-profile matchups stalling, the WBO aggressively elevated Davis to the mandatory slot, setting up a highly lucrative, all-American stylistic battle that has the entire division on notice. Both teams now have under three weeks to salvage control of the promotional rights before the bids take over.