Devin Haney has been accused of not being the most entertaining fighter, so how can he rebrand himself?
Haney’s popularity declined after the Ryan Garcia fight, which ended in a no-contest. Haney initially lost the fight as he was dropped three times in a majority decision defeat. However, the result was overturned once Garcia failed VADA tests for Ostarine. Haney responded by suing Garcia in a lawsuit for battery, something which resulted in massive backlash. Tim Bradley described the move as soft as he urged Haney to move on with his career.
Haney then returned to the ring to face off against Jose Ramirez. He had teamed up with Shane Mosley as his focus was on increasing his punching power. Haney has not secured a knockout victory since 2019 when he stopped Zaur Abdullaev. Haney has developed a reputation for having pillow hands. Devin was also heavily criticized for the Ramirez performance as the fight produced the fifth lowest punch-output on CompuBox. The fight only had 110 punches landed, with Haney securing 70, while Ramirez had 40.
Haney’s Problem
Mosley came out to say that was not his game plan for the fight, resulting in criticism for Haney’s brand. Haney’s situation has also not been helped by his father, Bill Haney. Bill has developed a reputation for doing most of the talking for his son. He has not helped himself, as he has had public feuds against Oscar De La Hoya. However, Bill has managed to secure his son some lucrative paydays, with reports that the Garcia fight earned him $35 million.
There is a perception that Haney’s accomplishments in the sport do not mean he is a commercial star. Haney is the former Undisputed Lightweight Champion, while he was also the WBC Junior Welterweight Champion. However, he is not the biggest ticket seller, with many criticizing any comparisons made between him and Floyd Mayweather.
There are also some who have questioned Haney’s undefeated record. The Garcia loss has been put down by some due to Haney’s poor game plan. He failed to adjust to the left hook, which caught him repeatedly, with many ruling out Ostarine as the cause for that. Devin has also been accused of carefully managing his opponents. His biggest wins have come against Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis. Many felt Devin had lost to Loma, while Prograis was considered past his best. Manny Pacquiao has come out to say that Devin’s main focus should be on entertaining fans if he wants to get back in their good books.
“In boxing, it’s how you entertain the fans. Boxing became popular because of the support of the fans of the people. So, make sure the fans are satisfied in every fight that you have, that you give it to them. That’s balance. You cannot pay back all the sacrifices that you have, and then the people are not satisfied,” Pacquiao stated
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