Healthy WBC champ Devin Haney aims for lightweight supremacy

The longest layoff of Devin Haney’s burgeoning boxing career is finally over — nearly a year to the day it began.

It was early in a fight against Alfredo Santiago on Nov. 9 when Haney felt discomfort in his right shoulder. It was later in the fight when he knew something was wrong. It was in December when he had surgery to repair a partially torn labrum.

It will be Saturday when he returns to defend his WBC lightweight title.

“It’s a huge statement that has to be made,” said Haney, an Oakland, California, native and Las Vegas resident. “I’m pretty much the guy that is going to determine the next big fight. … I’ve got to go in there, and I’ve got to look good.”

Haney (24-0, 15 knockouts) is healthy and hungry. For a victory Saturday against Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-3, 18 KOs) at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. And for undisputed supremacy within a loaded lightweight division.

The 21-year-old spent five months nursing his injured shoulder back to health and the past three training in preparation for Gamboa, a 38-year-old former unified featherweight champion in the twilight of his career. More consequential fights await Haney, as long as he handles his business Saturday.

“It’s crazy, because when you’re out for so long — and it may not be that long for a lot of people, but it’s long for me — you just want to feel the energy of a win,” Haney said. “And with a win … I feel like everything that I went through this last year was worth it.”

Haney hadn’t been seriously injured during his professional career, which began in 2015. So he was forced to adjust to the inactivity, but maintained an optimistic outlook while using the down time to focus on other aspects of his life. He spent time with his family as he navigated the constraints of the coronavirus pandemic, training other parts of his body while his shoulder healed.

His father and trainer, Bill, said he thinks the injury served as motivation.

“As soon as he was cleared, it was like he was reborn again,” Bill Haney said. “I saw that gleam in his eye because he wanted to get back into training. … Normally you would see the gleam when it’s time to fight. But now he had that gleam to train.”

Devin Haney trained for the bout at Title Boxing in Las Vegas and focused on buoying the set of skills that have powered his unblemished start. He’s quick and crafty, capable of dictating the tempo of a fight with his offense and adjusting to his opponents with his defense.

He’s accurate and precise with his combinations and counters, and relies on fleet feet and continuous head movement to steer clear of opposing haymakers.

“You’ll see a more mature Devin,” Bill Haney said. “A more composed and world-class champion. That’s what we’re looking for out of him.”

Haney’s peers in the 135-pound weight class include unified IBF, WBO and WBA champion Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis, who are coming off title victories over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Leo Santa Cruz, respectively. Promising lightweight Ryan Garcia fights Luke Campbell next month, and plenty of compelling fights can be made within the division.

Lopez’s father and trainer, Teofimo Sr., indicated that a fight with Haney would be ideal should his son remain in the division.

“This is the best division in boxing right now,” said Haney, emphasizing that he’s focused on this weekend. “Any one of the top guys in the lightweight division versus each other is a huge fight. I’m just excited for the future.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.