Giving up porn, training with Floyd and a $400k watch: 10 facts about Devin Haney who will fight Lomachenko

The youngest absolute champion.

Devin Haney (29-0) is a 24-year-old undisputed lightweight champion who has unified the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts. Against  Vasily Lomachenko,  he will hold the second title defense and is coming into the fight as a favorite.

What you need to know about Devin Haney?

Started his professional career as a minor and became the youngest overall champion

Haney has been boxing since childhood, and at 14 he became the youngest member of the US junior national team. He won the national youth championship twice and could have made it to the 2016 Olympics, but the US Olympic Committee changed the rules, banning athletes under 19 from competing. Haney did not get to Rio de Janeiro, but did not want to wait for the next Olympics and turned professional.

Haney made this decision at the age of 16. According to US law, he could not fight at a professional level, so he went to Mexico, where he scored four victories. After coming of age, Haney returned home and never lost again: at 23, he became the youngest undisputed champion in history – with a perfect record of 29-0.

Comparisons to Mayweather: He trained with Floyd and helped prepare for Conor

Many compare Haney with Floyd Mayweather – because of the verified technique and the perfect record. They know each other: Floyd helped with training and noted the prospects.

Haney was even in Mayweather’s camp when he was preparing for Conor: “It was a crazy experience. This is what I have always dreamed of. Floyd is a phenomenon in our sport. To be paired with him is an honor for me.”

Fought six times with Ryan Garcia in the amateur ring and scored a phenomenal record

Prior to turning pro, Haney had an impressive amateur record of 130-8. And often fought with the current boxing star Ryan Garcia (he recently lost to Gervonta Davis). Boxer and close friend Haney Otta Jones recalled how there were three rings in the arenas, but everyone present was looking at them.

Garcia won three out of six fights against Haney – almost half of all defeats at the amateur level. Both boxers want to meet in a professional ring in order to identify the strongest.

His manager and coach is a father who served time in the 90s and comes to a press conference to help his son

Haney’s manager is his father, Bill. Together they created the promotion company Devin Haney Promotions, which deals with the boxer. From early childhood, his father coached Haney, accompanied his entire amateur career, and now helps in the pros.

He comes with his son to the press conference, where he helps answer questions. Haney Sr. is always in his son’s corner: in 2022 he was not given a visa to Australia to fight Kambosos due to a drug conviction in 1992, but he got permission to enter. 

He said that he would never be defeated by a white man – and ran into accusations of racism

Three years ago, when Haney first started challenging Lomachenko, he spoke out about the color of his opponent’s skin. Many considered it racist: “Imagine if a white man said that about a black man.”

“I will tell you the following. I will never lose to a white boy in my life. I don’t care who says what. If I fight a white boy, I’ll beat him 10 times out of 10.” After this statement, he was accused of racism – Haney did not agree: “I am not a racist and never will be. I’m just chasing greatness.”

A convinced Muslim who carries the Quran with him

Despite the American name, Haney is a staunch Muslim. Last Ramadan, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Haney has admitted to carrying the Quran with him and showing it in the GQ video “10 Things Devin Haney Can’t Live Without”.

“I am the voice of two billion Muslims. Islam is our family tradition, which is why I converted to it. After that, my life changed a lot. The Quran has answers to any questions, it helped me to become a better person. And definitely advanced his boxing career.”

Loves cars, expensive jewelry and rose gold

For GQ, he showed a giant collection of chains, bracelets and watches, confessing his special love for rose gold. After winning Kambosos in 2022, Haney went straight to the store and bought some expensive watches.

The cheapest item in the collection costs $10,000 (bracelet), the most expensive is $400,000 (Richard Mille watch). Haney likes to be photographed with money, which brings him closer to Floyd. 

Refused to watch porn and masturbation due to psychological dependence, and abstains from sex before fights

Haney believes that watching porn is contrary to religion, and constant masturbation breaks the psyche.

“I don’t masturbate at all. Of course, I have done this in the past, but now I don’t have to masturbate, I can find another way. We are Muslims, we are not allowed to watch porn at all.

It changes your consciousness. You can’t please a girl when you watch people have fake sex. You feel like nothing.”

Like many boxers, Haney practices abstinence before a fight. So did Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury.

“As far as abstaining from sex before a fight, I practice 3-4 weeks of denial,” Haney admitted. – I used to even try for 8 weeks, but this brought my body to the point that nocturnal emissions appeared. Once it happened the day before the fight, the other time – right on the day of the fight.

I spoke to the doctor and he said that when the body produces so much testosterone, it needs to be released. Now I understand when to give up sex. Although, to be honest, before the fight, I don’t worry about sex and girls at all. ”

Uses chewing gum to strengthen the jaw

Remember Tyson Fury training his jaw for the Wilder fight with cunnilingus? Haney’s secret trick is chewing gum. He believes it strengthens his jaw and chews gum before locker room fights.

“Gum is important, you should always have fresh breath,”  says Haney. – I heard that chewing gum makes the jaw stronger. My theory is that it helps to take a better punch. Old school fighters chewed to strengthen the jaw. I like Extra chewing gum, now this is my choice.