Devin Haney’s title defense against Ryan Garcia this Saturday night will test whether he’s a PPV draw like the top fighters or just another of the many fighters who can’t sell. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, for a boring fighter to become a must-see PPV attraction.
I don’t see it as realistic in this era of boxing for Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) to rise to pay-per-view draw and sell tickets. The Mayweather era is over, and it takes an exciting fighter to bring in the buys nowadays.
Based on his fighting style, Haney is far below where he needs to be to rise to superstardom. You can argue that the young lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason has a far better chance of becoming a PPV attraction than Haney.
Safety-First = Boredom
Does Haney belong in the big leagues among the PPV giants, or will his dull jab, clinch & run style prevent him from becoming a draw? Haney has always been an advocate of the ‘hit and not get hit‘ school of fighting, and those guys arent the ones that fans want to pay to see.
They don’t like paying $70+ to watch a runner bore them to sleep, making them feel stupid and ripped off for having paid to watch the fighter. I don’t see Haney ever changing his style to become a PPV attraction because he’s too safety-first, and his interviews are so boring that it’s difficult to listen to more than a minute of him without cutting him off.
Bill Haney, the dad of WBC light welterweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs), claims that Dev is the ‘Face of Boxing’ now, having taken over that spot from Gervonta Davis. However, the disaster of Haney’s last fight against Regis Prograis, bringing in a measly 50K buys on DAZN PPV, tells a different story.
That’s why this Saturday night’s fight is so important for Haney because he’s got to prove that he can draw for him to command the big paydays and purse splits that he’s looking to get.
The Tank Davis Chase That’s Probably Hopeless
Also, if Haney can show that he’s a PPV attraction, it will increase the chances of Tank Davis agreeing to fight him. Tank is the one that Devin and Bill Haney both seem to want to fight more than anybody.
They’re not too keen on fighting other guys like Subriel Matias, Teofimo Lopez or Shakur Stevenson and definitely not Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. The Haney’s want Tank Davis, but they’re not popular enough right now to get that fight for the negotiatoning terms they’d be asking for.
With Haney only bringing in 50K PPV buys and being unable to sell out the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, or the Chase Center in San Franciso, California, that indicates that he’s not a must-see for fans. He’s just a guy who wins belts against vulnerable champions, i.e., George Kambosos Jr. and Regis Prograis.
“The It Factor” – What Haney Lacks
“This is the fight to show our ability to be a draw, to [to bring in] our sales,” Bill Haney said to the media. “It’s the fight to be on the Mount Rushmore of boxing.”
Haney lacks the “it’ factor, and that’s the whole problem. He can beat guys like Regis Prograis and George Kanbosos Jr, but he won’t even try to take on the talents that fans want to see that would make or break to turn him into a PPV attraction.
