Forget taking a good amount of time off and of eating too much during the Christmas holidays. Devin Haney, a “consummate professional,” will be ready to fight again as soon as March, if not earlier. This is according to Eddie Hearn, who sees Haney having a huge 2024, during which he could fight three times. It’s great that this is even being talked about as a possibility during a time when it’s common for the stars of the sport to box just once a year, or at a push twice.
Hearn, in speaking with Fight Hype, broke down the ideal 2024 for Haney, currently 31-0(15).
“The kid’s a consummate professional, he’s always fit and strong and well, and I think he’s got a really good chance to have three fights next year….three big championship fights, one in March or April, then one in June/July, and then one in November/December,” Hearn said of Haney. “That’d be a great year for him. I think you really have to say he is the Fighter of the Year. I think in 2024, he’s going to be right up there again. You know he’s going to be in big fights. You could see his year looking something like – Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, Tank Davis.”
If this came off it would of course be huge, for Haney, for Hearn, and for us fans. The sceptics out there will no doubt feel this is asking too much, what with the money, the site of the fight, the broadcasters, and everything else that would have to be worked out and in quite a tight time space. But 25 year old Haney wants this kind of work schedule, against the best fighters out there.
You may argue against Haney being the 2023 Fighter of the Year, that ever so close, it-could-have-gone-either-way fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko perhaps making you feel Haney is not deserving of the distinction. But if he gets the three fights Hearn has spoken about next year, and if Haney wins them all, he will be a lock for 2024’s Fighter of the Year!
Bring these fights on if you can, Mr. Hearn.
