Haney: A victory won't be enough to secure the A-side

Now that the boxing world has had time to fully digest the results of the Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia fight, and has had a good look at Shakur Stephens' debut in the lightweight division with Devin Haney vs Vasyl Lomachenko next up on May 20th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada, the individual paths taken by these fighters are merging into one lane. Leaving only one question, and i’ll turn it over to one of the greatest hip hop lyricists, Christopher “Notorious B.I.G” Wallace “what you gonna do fight or run”.

As sports fanatics we’re accustomed to the champions being the recognized leaders of their respective sport. On the other hand, the sport of boxing these days is filled with outliers, and though at times it makes for good barbershop conversations, validation for a fighter’s supremacy in the sport are officially conducted by sanctioning bodies and persuaded by public opinion. Boxing has now added a new element to the criteria for being king of the sport/division as Davis has elevated an aspect of the Floyd Mayweather blueprint as the undisputed entertainment champion.

Currently Haney sits at the top of the lightweight division as the undisputed champion having the IBF,WBO,WBC, and WBA titles. In most circumstances that makes Haney the A side meaning he and his team would have the rights to determine the fight location, stipulations, and compensations for an opportunity to challenge him for his coveted titles. If Haney is successful against Lomachenko and desires to test himself against the newly crowned king of boxing entertainment or better known as “the face of boxing” Gervonta Davis, determining the A side will likely make for a long negotiation period.

Having a name like Vasyl Lomachenko on your resume if Haney is successful is a good look, but as many of us have been told or heard, looks can be deceiving. For Haney, he simply cannot just win or win in dominating fashion, fans want blood and they want it to come with identifiable intentions of violence. With boxing on its way to recapturing the market size it once had, the captivating aspect of the sport being brutality over skills exclusively, Haney’s uphill battle to generate an audience like Davis will have to be earned in the ring. Gervonta’s impressive style of winning with Ryan Garcia being the latest big name star defeated by Davis, a 12 round boxing masterclass will not guarantee Devin’s an A-side position and lions share of the pot.

Will we see these two lightweight giants in the division meet in the ring? The two have clashed numerous times on social media which has become the precursor that leads to the beginning stages of the negotiating phase when making fights these days. Both fighters bring an equal share of value to the table with Haney being the titled champion and Davis being the gait and PPV champion it will be interesting to see who’s will get imposed enough to swing the pendulum their way to obtain the biggest slice of the pie.