Promoter Eddie Hearn wants to see Devin Haney change his training team to revamp things when he returns to the ring next year.
Hearn feels that Haney’s father, Bill Haney, isn’t the right guy to move the former two-division world champion forward with his career after his loss to Ryan Garcia last April.
He wants to see one experienced guy coaching Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and directing the show because he thinks Bill has taken him as far as he can. Hearn feels that Bill is better on the business side, not with training.
Hearn Questions Bill Haney’s Effectiveness as Lead Trainer
Haney, 25, needs to make the right move because Ryan’s bludgeoning showed that he needs to make drastic changes to fix his defense and come up with a better game plan next time he fights. Devin should never have been slugging with a guy like Ryan because he doesn’t possess the power.
“I think he has to look at his team. His dad, I love Bill [Haney]. He’s got his back 100%, but is he the right person to take him forward strategically in the ring?” said promoter Eddie Hearn to the All The Smoke YouTube channel, talking about the advice that he has for Devin Haney to rebuild his career to come back from the nightmare of his fight against Ryan Garcia.
Haney probably won’t like hearing Hearn openly saying he needs to remove his dad, Bill, from his training team. But he’s got to do something because it won’t work having a hype man in his corner when he needs a true trainer who can give him sound advice to protect his chin and keep him from getting battered like he was against Ryan.
“I never liked this three or four trainer thing where they’re in the changing room, and they’re doing the pads with him. AJ went through that system when he boxed Usyk; he was so lost,” said Hearn.
“They [Haney] need one guy to tell him, ‘Listen, this is what you need to do.’ They never been through that before. No one in that corner had been through that situation before. You have to look at your training team,” said Hearn.
Bill Haney’s Strengths Lie in Business, Not Training
Haney came close to being stopped against Jorge Linares in 2021 when a powerful left-right combination near the end of the 10th round hurt him. Haney was staggered in the 11th and 12th rounds but could make it to the final bell by clinching.
“Bill has done a great job for Devin on the business side. He’s made him a lot of money, but now the strategic play. I think business-wise, Bill is going to get the best deal with Devin,” said Hearn.
