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Three-division champion Devin Haney provided DAZN another prime, young talent Friday, signing a multi-fight agreement with the company and separating further in its competition with the new Zuffa Boxing promotion.
As the week began with Zuffa Boxing releasing four-division champion Shakur Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), before he ever fought for the Paramount+ and Turki Alalshikh-linked company, the alliance of Las Vegas’ 27-year-old Haney, 33-0 (15 KOs), and DAZN closes it.
“I’m at a point in my career where I want the biggest challenges and the fights the fans want to see,” Haney said. “I’m excited to partner with DAZN. This agreement removes any doubt or uncertainty about my ability to make the major fights in boxing. I’m in position to fight anyone, and I’m focused, motivated and ready for whoever is next.”
BoxingScene reported that following Haney’s collapsed talks with free-agent Stevenson, WBO welterweight champion Haney was turning to a unification bout against IBF champion Liam Paro of Australia.
The union also intensifies the competition between DAZN and Zuffa Boxing/Paramount+ over pending free agents David Benavidez, a three-division champion fighting for three cruiserweight belts December 5 on DAZN, and popular WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.
By previously signing WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez, DAZN offers a tantalizing option for Garcia in addition to the link with Haney after he and Garcia fought to that 2024 no-contest marked by Garcia’s three knockdowns of Haney and Garcia’s three positive post-fight tests for the banned PED Ostarine.
That potential rematch may be the most anticipated fight that the sport currently offers.
“Devin has proven that he belongs on boxing’s biggest stages,” said DAZN head of North America boxing Britton Hardin. “He is an elite champion, a proven headliner and one of the most influential figures shaping the future of the sport. This partnership creates the opportunity to deliver the marquee matchups fans want while bringing the next defining phase of Devin’s career to DAZN’s global audience.”
In its prepared statement announcing Haney’s signing, a DAZN official wrote, “The agreement brings another elite championship attraction to DAZN’s growing U.S. boxing business and further strengthens the platform’s position as the destination for boxing’s biggest fighters, promoters and most anticipated matchups.”
Haney previously won lightweight and 140lbs titles, defeating three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko along the way, before defeating Brian Norman Jnr in November for the WBO welterweight belt.
Earlier this week, his father-trainer-manager, Bill Haney, showed on social-media posts he was engaged in talks with DAZN officials.
“Building Devin Haney Promotions into a global championship brand has been a long-term vision of ours, and this partnership marks an important milestone in that journey,” Bill Haney said in the statement.
“We developed Devin from the ground up into an undisputed [lightweight] champion, a three-division world champion and one of boxing’s elite global attractions. Now, alongside DAZN, we can apply that same blueprint to growing the DHP roster, developing future champions and delivering elite events on the global stage.”
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
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