With a Predictable Mission Accomplished, Devin Haney Climbs to the Superstar Precipice

It’s hardest for the cussed sorts.

So set of their methods – or, on this case, so fiercely loyal to people who got here earlier than – that it’s unattainable to concede anybody new may even method their ranges.

It’s been the case with fighters of all sizes and shapes for generations. 

It’s the case lately with Devin Haney.

Although his resume was certainly respectable previous to a problem of 140-pound claimant Regis Prograis, the depth and breadth of his ability set was nearly criminally undervalued.

To some extent, the truth is, the place various gave Prograis – an excellent, robust fighter to make certain, however by no means on Haney’s degree when it got here to real in-ring prowess – greater than a fleeting likelihood to win.

Some to a degree the place they really picked him to take action. 

No, actually.

It appeared believable final week as Prograis talked robust and gestured menacingly. It appeared attainable Saturday evening proper up till the opening bell.

It appears fairly ridiculous now.

Ridiculous as a result of, within the afterglow of Haney’s San Francisco virtuosity, merely lauding a pound-for-pounder for superiority over a pedestrian doesn’t imply something. 

It’s a struggle he gained. It’s a struggle he was speculated to win. Large deal.

What should be accomplished, as a substitute, is recalibration towards what’s subsequent in a division stuffed with matchups that’ll enable Haney to ascend additional into actually rarified air.

The air reserved for the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. a era in the past.

Mayweather, for these unaware, was 5-0 with two KOs in title fights at 135 and 140. He gained different belts at 130, 147 and 154, however the stretch from 2002 to 2005 could have been the height of his powers.

And Haney, for one evening no less than, was within the dialog, too.

“He was that good. A digital replay of Floyd Mayweather vs. Arturo Gatti,” Jim Lampley, who known as that 2005 mismatch for HBO, informed BoxingScene.com “The viewers all the time harbors excessive hopes for the center and can of the pure brawler. That emotional urge, typically partially shared by pundits, ignores the truth that at its higher ranges the game is about approach, about intricate craft that’s unintelligible to the ‘coronary heart and guts and can’ fighter. Prograis may be very straightforward for the superior technician to disassemble. 

“It winds up in public embarrassment. The aggressive hole expands from spherical to spherical. Completely predictable however should not too liberally broaden Devin’s ring self-image. He did what he ought to have been anticipated to do towards a restricted capability opponent. The efficiency vs. Loma was in a better league and proved an important deal extra. The problem is to maintain working, hold looking for enchancment, and never take an excessive amount of satisfaction away from a win that was written in stone. Craft is king. Hold constructing it.”

Certainly, the WBC trinket permits Haney entrance right into a belt-wearing membership at 140 that features long-time light-weight rival Teofimo Lopez (WBO) and compelling Puerto Rican boogeyman Subriel Matias (IBF) – to not point out the championship-adjacent room the place perpetual big-fight instigator Ryan Garcia and maybe even Gervonta Davis, who earned and discarded a doubtful title two years in the past, could loiter.

It’s no stretch to recommend Haney may run the desk there earlier than and even alongside an inferred soar to welterweight, the place the likes of Jaron Ennis are already licking their aggressive chops.

However pretty much as good as Saturday was, it’ll take some doing on Haney’s half. 

Notably relating to sustaining the main focus that allowed it to occur within the first place.

In different phrases, hold sweating the small stuff. As a result of it’s all small stuff. And all of it issues.

“4-0 by no means implausible if the entire staff sticks to its knitting and doesn’t get intoxicated by how straightforward this was,” Lampley mentioned. “And that’s not as straightforward because it sounds. One fixed is that margins are finer than they look like. A bit bit right here and there seems like quite a bit on struggle evening. That’s an inducement to small errors whose impression grows as time goes by. Careers are cumulative, not simply episodic.”

* * * * * * * * * *        

This week’s title-fight schedule:       

IBF/WBO flyweight titles – Glendale, Arizona 

Sunny Edwards (IBF champion/No. 1 Ring) vs. Jesse Rodriguez (WBO champion/No. 4 Ring) 

Edwards (20-0, 4 KO): Fifth title protection; Fourth struggle exterior of the UK (3-0, 0 KO) 

Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KO): First title protection; Held WBC title at 115 kilos (2022, two defenses) 

Fitzbitz says: I like Edwards quite a bit. However this appears like an enormous ask. Rodriguez dealt with himself effectively with the veteran elites at 115 and appeared stable when he dropped again to 112. Lean. Rodriguez in 9 (65/35) 

WBC flyweight title – Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Julio Cesar Martinez (champion/No. 2 Ring) vs. Angelino Cordova (No. 13 WBC/Unranked Ring) 

Martinez (20-2, 15 KO): Seventh title protection; Unbeaten in 11 fights at 112 kilos (9-0, 7 KO, 2 NC) 

Cordova (18-0-1, 12 KO): First title struggle; Choice wins in two fights in the US (2-0, 0 KO)

Fitzbitz says: The challenger has gone 16-0-1 with 12 KOs in Venezuela and gained two slender selections within the U.S. He reaches for the very best rung on Saturday and the hole will probably be huge. Martinez in 7 (95/5)

This week’s trash title-fight schedule: 

WBA “world” tremendous middleweight title – Minneapolis, Minnesota 

David Morrell (champion/No. 5 Ring) vs. Sena Agbeko (No. 10 WBA/Unranked Ring) 

Why it’s trash: Standard causes. Canelo Alvarez gained a bunch of fights to earn a bunch of titles at 168, nevertheless it’s not ok for the Panamanian belt cartel. A shadow champion like Morrell retains the charges coming in if Canelo takes a while away or, gasp, tells them to shove it after they order a compulsory. 

Final week’s picks: 1-2 (WIN: Billam-Smith; LOSS: Prograis, Ramirez)  

2023 picks report: 42-17 (71.1 p.c)         

General picks report: 1,293-425 (75.2 p.c)        

NOTE: Fights previewed are solely these involving a sanctioning physique’s full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, and so on. Fights for WBA “world championships” are solely included if no “tremendous champion” exists within the weight class. 

Lyle Fitzsimmons has coated skilled boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. Attain him at fitzbitz@msn.com or comply with him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.