Despite earning a record-breaking purse in his career, Keyshawn Davis has decided not to face WBO champion Devin Haney. Now the organization must name a new mandatory challenger.
The planned WBO world title fight between Devin Haney and Keyshawn Davis has been called off for now. Davis’s team informed the world boxing organization that the 27-year-old will not accept the mandated mandatory challenge against the welterweight champion. In doing so, Davis is turning down the largest purse of his career to date. Top Rank had won the rights to host the fight at auction with a bid of $8.55 million. Under WBO rules, 75 percent would have gone to titleholder Haney, while Davis would have received 25 percent. For the challenger, that would have meant a purse of just over $2.1 million.
Top Rank had proposed October 3 as the date for the fight. New York, Atlanta, and Las Vegas were considered as possible venues. This would have been Davis’s first fight in the welterweight division. His two most recent fights, against Jamaine Ortiz and Nahir Albright, were still in the light welterweight division. It was not immediately clear why Davis turned down the opportunity. From a sporting perspective, the matchup would have been particularly appealing, as both boxers are undefeated and rank among the most technically skilled American boxers of their generation.
Now the WBO must decide how to proceed with Haney’s first title defense. Brian Norman Jr. is ranked second, but he was already soundly defeated by Haney on points last November. Teofimo Lopez, Manny Pacquiao, and Arnold Barboza Jr. are also ranked highly.
Text by Robin Josten