Devin Haney has revealed his terms if he was to present Conor Benn with an immediate world title shot.
The 27-year-old claimed his WBO welterweight strap last month, producing a clinical performance to drop, outpoint and ultimately dethrone Brian Norman Jr.
In doing so, Haney not only became a three-division world champion but also silenced many of his detractors, who mostly expressed their view that he is a fighter in decline.
This was largely because of his majority decision defeat to Ryan Garcia, where he was floored three times, in April 2024, even though the result was eventually overturned to a no-contest after ‘King Ry’ tested positive for banned substance ostarine.
Following that debacle, a safety-first approach against Jose Ramirez, who he ultimately outpointed in May, did little to convince fans that Haney was back to his old self.
But now, with Haney widely regarded as the top dog at 147lbs, the slick technician has all of a sudden become a valuable commodity in his division.
Among those that have expressed an interest in facing the WBO champ is Benn, who comes off a dominant unanimous decision victory over Chris Eubank Jr.
Despite competing at middleweight for their rematch, and indeed their first encounter in April, ‘The Destroyer’ has since confirmed his intention to move back down to welterweight.
But while Benn and Haney have gone back-and-forth via a string of social media posts, the American world champion is seemingly uninterested in making a voluntary defence of his title against the Brit unless one condition is met.
In an interview with Boxing King Media, Haney insists that the only way their fight happens is if Hearn, Benn’s promoter, is willing to offer a considerable lump of cash.
“Conor Benn doesn’t have nothing for me to gain right now. He’s not a big draw in America; he doesn’t have a belt.
“[But] if Eddie [Hearn] wants to throw a s*** load of money at me, to make that fight, then it would make sense for me.”
Another world title opportunity aside from Haney has since been presented to Benn, after he was announced as the mandatory challenger to the WBC belt, meaning he is set to face the winner of the fight between Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia.
