Haney Signals Openness to Keyshawn, But Jamaine Comes First

Devin Haney isn’t hiding the idea. If Keyshawn Davis makes it through his next fight, Haney is open to seeing him.

Earlier this month, Davis said on Inside The Ring that a win in his junior welterweight debut against Jamaine Ortiz would push him directly to 147 pounds. The bout is set for January 31 in New York, part of The Ring 6 card.

Haney, coming off his November win over Brian Norman Jr. to claim the WBO welterweight title, posted that he was weighing several options for his next fight. Davis responded publicly, suggesting Haney was waiting to see the Jamaine result. Haney’s reply was brief and clear. Davis is on the list.

The problem is that Davis still has a fight to win.

He hasn’t competed since June, when he missed weight badly for a scheduled lightweight title defense and was stripped of his belt. That week spiraled further with a backstage altercation involving Nahir Albright, closing a stretch that stalled his momentum and raised questions about direction.

Jamaine is not a tune-up. His losses came against Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez, and he has consistently forced opponents into uncomfortable fights. This is a step Keyshawn has not taken as a professional.

Haney’s résumé is settled. Undisputed at lightweight. A title at junior welterweight. Now a belt at welterweight. His position is secure regardless of who he chooses next.

Keyshawn is not.

Promoted carefully by Top Rank since his Olympic loss to Andy Cruz, Davis has looked good against manageable opposition. Ortiz represents a different question. If Keyshawn wins cleanly, the Haney talk gets real. If he doesn’t, the rebuild starts fast.

Davis also hasn’t shown he can manage weight cleanly. He missed it badly last time and lost a belt without throwing a punch. Talking about 147 before proving himself at 140 is premature. Haney moved up after winning. Keyshawn is still trying to stabilize his career. Jamaine is the check on whether any of this talk even survives January.