Did Haney just denounce Hitchins with this video?

Devin Haney leaked an old video clip about X, showing him punching former IBF light welterweight champion Liam Paro in a sparring match, which was pretty one-sided.

This move by Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) appears to be a transparent attempt to demonstrate that he is a superior fighter to Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs), who is receiving a lot of favorable attention from the boxing world following his victory over Paro (25-1, 15 KOs) last Saturday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Haney’s Indirect Challenge

By proving he was more skilled than Paro, Haney could generate interest in a potential fight between him and Hitchins. If that happens, it will probably have to be at 147 without Hitchins’ IBF title on the line due to the 10-pound rehydration rule.

The moment Haney posted the old sparring video of him dominating Paro could be seen as a form of calling indirectly Richardson without actually doing it. It would be better if Haney challenged him directly, but this is a sneaky way to create interest in a fight between them by showing fans that he took down the fighter Hitchins beat last Saturday.

Considering the recently defeated Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and his father, Bill Haney, are interested in a lucrative rematch with Ryan Garcia in 2025, the sparring video leak may be a cheap way so that Devin remains in the headlines without risking his skin by getting into the ring. It seems like Haney is trying to show people how talented he is.

Knowing how much money Dev can make fighting Garcia in a rematch, it would be crazy to take a risky fight against Hitchins and lose like Paro did last weekend. The speed, power and accuracy of Richardson’s punches would be big problems for Haney.

Hitchins outclassed Paro, beating him by 12-round split decision in a DAZN main event on promoter Eddie Hearn’s card. The performance of Richardson, a native of Brooklyn, New York, showed that he has clinched the number one spot in the 140-pound class.

Old files… Paro and I… I think one day he will be Champion again. pic.twitter.com/eTw5iFqvBx

-Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) December 9, 2024