Keyshawn Davis has officially pulled out of his mandated WBO welterweight world title fight against Devin Haney despite Top Rank winning the purse bids. The decision leaves Haney seeking a replacement opponent for his planned October 3 fight date.
The fight had been ordered following Davis’ decision to target Haney’s 147lb title after just two contests at super-lightweight. The Norfolk fighter originally claimed the WBO lightweight belt by knocking out Denys Berinchyk in February. However, he lost the championship on the scales after his scheduled summer defence against Edwin De Los Santos was cancelled.
Davis subsequently moved up to 140lbs, where he stopped Jamaine Ortiz in January before securing a comfortable decision victory in a rematch against Nahir Albright in May. Following those two performances, Davis revealed his intention to move up again and was formally mandated by the WBO to challenge Haney at welterweight.
A 30-day negotiation window failed to produce an agreement between the camps, sending the bout to live-streamed purse bids. Top Rank won the promotional rights to stage the contest. Shortly after the bidding concluded, the WBO received an email confirming that Davis had withdrawn, reportedly due to the belief that he was being underpaid.
Shakur Stevenson, a four-division world champion and close friend of Davis, has rejected the idea that purse money was the sole driver behind the pull-out.
He stated: “At the end of the day, his decision is his decision. I believe that, if he has made that decision, there must be a lot more to it.”
Stevenson believes promotional dynamics often obscure the full context of contract negotiations.
He added: “Nah, I am not buying that [it was solely about the money]. I think that there has got to be more to the story. I have dealt with these people before, they know how to make things look a certain way, I have been in his shoes before.”
Haney still intends to proceed with his planned October 3 date. Promoters are now actively searching for a replacement opponent to save the scheduled main event.
