Calvin Ford, trainer of Gervonta Davis, said he doesn't believe Devin Haney (31-0, 15KOs) will hang around at 140lbs for too long following his one-sided victory over Regis Prograis (29-2, 24KOs) to claim the WBC world super-lightweight title.
Haney claimed a unanimous decision over Prograis with three identical scorecards of 120-107 to produce a career-best performance to date, and shake off criticism following his narrow unanimous points win over Vasyl Lomachenko in May.
Post-fight, Prograis called for a fight with Davis while claiming his own future will belong at the 147lb welterweight division.
Speaking to MillCityBoxing, Ford has since praised Haney on his victory against Prograis before dismissing Haney’s intentions of facing his charge Davis.
“Devin did his thing; he looked remarkable. Devin put on a great fight. The only thing I can say is he [Haney] hurt him [Regis Prograis], but he didn’t finish him. If y’all cannot mention Tank’s name for all of 2024, then y’all got me.
“Y’all going up to 147. Talking about who you’re going to fight at 147. Forget about 140, forget about 135, and forget about Tank,” Ford said. “They said it in the ring, ‘We’re going up to 147.’
Ford added that he could not see Haney facing the likes of Terence Crawford, Jaron Ennis, or Keith Thurman, but said he could see a fight against former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor happening, instead.
“I said, ‘Damn, who are they going to fight at 147?’ The only top dogs at 147 is Crawford and [Jaron] Boots [Ennis]. Thurman,” continued Ford. “I know you’re not going to jump up there, or you might fight [Mario] Barrios. Then I looked across the border, and I saw Josh Taylor. That’s who they’re going to go at. It’s easy to make.
“Then I said, ‘Dang, he couldn’t make 140 because he had to strip all the way down, and that tells me he’s a big boy if you have to strip down to 140, and you’re campaigning at 140. You shouldn’t have to strip down to 140.”
Ford finished by saying that a fight between Haney-Taylor would be the only fight that he believes Haney’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, could make.
That’s the only person I can think of at 147. You’re talking about fighting at 147,” said Ford.
“That’s the only fight that they can make easy because of my man Eddie Hearn. That’s the only fight that I know that he can convince to make that happen. “So in 2024, you’ll probably see at 147 Josh Taylor and Haney if they’re not going to fight at 140 anymore. I’m not hearing anything more at 140. I’m hearing 147 [for Haney]."
