Home Boxing News Shawn Porter praises undefeated Devin Haney for his career progression

Shawn Porter praises undefeated Devin Haney for his career progression

Devin Haney. Photo credit: Getty Images

Former two-time welterweight world champion and Showtime pundit Shawn Porter 31-3-1 (17) has praised the way WBC lightweight titleholder Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney 26-0 (15) has handled his career.

Haney, 22, is coming off a gritty 12-round points win over evergreen veteran and former world champion Jorge Linares 47-6 (29) in Las Vegas, Nevada in May.

Porter says Haney’s father and trainer Bill Haney has been a vital asset in his career.

“[Haney] and his dad have made all the right movements up to this point,” Porter said to FightHype.

“Even in his last fight against Jorge Linares, he handled everything. He got caught with a punch that came out of nowhere. I’m in my house, jaw dropped.

“I didn’t want to see him lose that fight. I wanted to see him face some adversity, but I didn’t want to see him lose that fight.

“The fact that he faced that adversity and made it through it makes him a better fighter. I don’t know if he’s been avoided.

“I don’t know if it’s the right fights aren’t happening, but I do know he and his dad have made the right movement to this point.

“So when they’re taking on a guy like Maxi Hughes, it means something. They haven’t wasted anything at this point.

“They haven’t wasted time, they haven’t wasted experience and they haven’t wasted any of their TV time. I feel like they’re handling everything accordingly. So I think they’ll be fine.”

Porter went on to praise Haney for his natural athleticism, movement and ability to set up his punches.

“He’s dangerous because he’s got this combinations,” he continued. “Just like Roy Jones Jr had the combination of speed, athleticism, quickness and reflexes that were outmatched.

“I’m not saying that Devin Haney is the next Roy Jones or is Roy Jones. For a long time, people were saying he’s the next [Floyd] Mayweather [Jr].

“He’s the next Devin Haney. Devin Haney is dangerous because he can fight you off the back foot, but he can come at you at the same time. He’s rangy, he’s got speed and intellectually, he’s right there.

“He’s the complete package as a fighter. Maybe if anything, he’s lacking power. At the same time, it’s only a matter of time before that kicks in as well.”

Haney boosters have long accused the other top names at 135-pounds of avoiding him, but Porter says there is more to it than that and his opportunity will come if he is patient enough and keeps on winning.

“He’s still a young man,” Porter said. “When we talk about him being avoided, and we talk about the names we just said. [Ryan] Garcia and [Joseph ‘Jo Jo’] Diaz, when you take a look at that.

“Those guys are going to make more money fighting each other than they will Devin Haney. Even though we may not get a fight that we want, we still got to figure a way to understand it and one way to understand it is economically.

“Those guys are doing what makes sense for them from a financial perspective.”