Tim Bradley has assessed whether Devin Haney could move up a division and compete with the size and athleticism of unified super-welterweight champion Jaron Ennis.
‘Boots’ claimed the WBO and WBA 154lb titles in June, dethroning Xander Zayas with a seventh-round stoppage after scoring three knockdowns.
There was, however, a moment in round three when the American appeared hurt by a right hand, or at least revealed a chink in his defensive armour.
Several of his closest rivals therefore claim that they would have capitalised on such vulnerability, with Haney having even expressed an interest in jumping up from 147lbs.
The three-division world champion claimed his WBO welterweight title in November, dethroning Brian Norman Jr with a unanimous decision victory after scoring a third-round knockdown.
Since then, though, ‘The Dream’ has been left in search of an opponent, especially now that Keyshawn Davis has rejected a shot at his belt.
Instead, it is reported that Haney has reached “advanced negotiations” for a fight with Jack Catterall, despite Bill Haney recently calling for a fight with ‘Boots’.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hall of Famer Bradley urged Devin’s father to avoid further mentions of Ennis.
“That’s a bad style matchup for Devin Haney. [If] you fight Boots … you up against one of the most athletic, strongest dudes from 147 to 154lbs.
“He going to be coming all night long. He can match [Haney’s] output. He’s a lot longer than Dev.
“Yeah, Dev is smart. Dev is more calculated with his approach. He [would] have some success, but [he’d] get his ass chopped up and chopped down.”
While a clash with Ennis could materialise down the line, it would appear that Haney is set to make his first WBO welterweight title defence on October 3.
