Devin Haney’s search for his next opponent may finally be nearing an end. After negotiations involving Keyshawn Davis and Liam Paro failed to produce fights, Haney could now be headed toward a welterweight unification showdown with WBA champion Jack Catterall.
According to Catterall’s manager, Sam Jones, his side has accepted the proposed fight, date and location for a potential October 3 meeting with Haney.
Now they are waiting for the contracts.
“Wouldn’t say advanced but we’ve accepted the fight and the date proposed,” Jones wrote on X. “We are easy to deal with, we’re not greedy delusional people. Let’s get the fight on and get the contracts signed.”
For Haney, landing Catterall would give him an opportunity to add another championship to his collection and strengthen his claim as the man to beat at 147 pounds.
Haney’s Opponent Search Takes Another Turn
Haney (33-1, 15 KOs) captured the WBO welterweight championship in November with a unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jr., becoming a world champion in a third weight division.
Finding his first defense, however, hasn’t been simple. The WBO ordered Haney to defend against Keyshawn Davis, and Top Rank won the purse bid with an offer of $8.55 million. Davis would’ve received more than $2.1 million under the WBO’s mandated split, but ultimately declined the fight.
Attention then shifted toward a potential unification fight involving IBF champion Liam Paro, but those negotiations also failed to produce an agreement.
That opened the door for Catterall.
Catterall’s Team Says They’ve Accepted
Catterall now brings something to the negotiating table that he didn’t possess when he previously pursued Haney at junior welterweight—a world championship.
After defeating Shakram Giyasov by unanimous decision to capture the WBA welterweight title, Catterall became a potentially valuable opponent for Haney.
Instead of another standard title defense, Haney could fight for two championships and move closer to establishing himself as the undisputed leader of the welterweight division.
Jones says Catterall’s side isn’t interested in dragging negotiations out. They want the fight. However, the outspoken manager also expressed concern that Catterall could merely be used as leverage while Haney’s representatives continue exploring other possibilities.
“What I hope isn’t the case is that Jack is being used as a decoy,” Jones said. “Paro is scared of taking the fight for less money than he’s wanting.”
Jones then made Catterall’s position clear.
“All I can tell you is we’ve accepted the fight and the date and location. So, if the fight doesn’t happen, it’s not on Jack.”
October 3 Clock Is Ticking
The biggest obstacle may simply be time. With October 3 less than two months away, both camps would need to move quickly to finalize contracts, formally announce the fight and begin promotion.
A welterweight unification involving Haney deserves more than a rushed buildup, particularly as the 27-year-old attempts to solidify himself as one of boxing’s biggest attractions.
But Catterall’s team has publicly put the ball in Haney’s court. After Davis walked away and negotiations with Paro stalled, Haney has another champion ready to meet him. Now it’s time to see whether the signatures follow the words.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
