Former undisputed lightweight and WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney is planning to return to the ring this year since his overturned bout against Ryan Garcia in April of last year. Though it is unknown in which weight class he will fight, the American fighter is tipped to make return at 140 lbs where he last fought.
Over the past nine months, Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KO’s) has mostly been in the news due to various instances that occurred outside of the ring including a minor conflict with Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn and a court case filed against Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KO’s) for alleged battery and fraud.
Haney had previously already stated his intentions to go on a one-year hiatus following his April bout after Garcia found himself suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED’s). According to his latest Twitter/X post, Haney now appears to be targeting March for his return:
“March… I’m back.” Haney stated in a social media post last Saturday.
Possible opponents lined up for Devin Haney include WBC super lightweight (140 lbs) champion Alberto Puello (23-0, 10 KO’s) given Haney’s current champion-in-recess1 status with the organization which allows him to challenge Puello for his title directly.
Boxing News 24/7 had previously reported Haney would return on US-based streaming service BLK Prime on March 25, but the social media post by BLK announcing their collaboration with Haney has since been deleted. No valid reports have subsequently confirmed Haney has signed up with the streaming service.
There is a [small] chance Haney will return against another 140 lbs world champion in WBO beltholder Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KO’s) given their recent Twitter/X spat, though their social media conflict has not spilled over into actual negotiations.
With Puello remaining the only world champion Devin Haney can legitimately face by invoking his champion-in-recess status, the likeliest course of action will see the former undisputed lightweight (135 lbs) champion battle against an unheralded contender, whether ranked or unranked, at 140 lbs.
However, a potential debut by Haney at 147 lbs can also not be excluded. The last time Haney was considered a champion-in-recess by the WBC was in 2023 when he was still at lightweight. Haney would subsequently make his official debut at super lightweight in a title bout against WBC 140 lbs beltholder Regis Prograis (29-3, 24 KO’s) whose title he would go on to claim in a dominant contest.
- A titleholder removed as champion due to being unable to defend their belt due to injury, illness, or other reasons. If the original title is vacant, the sanctioning body allows for the champion-in-recess to vie either for the title upon their return. Otherwise, the champion-in-recess must face the current holder of the title. ↩︎
