Sergio Mora was impressed by Devin Haney’s performance against Jorge Linares and thinks the tough fight will only help him to improve.
Haney was rattled by at least one right hook thrown by the Venezuelan at the weekend, but former world champion Mora thought Haney was in control for most of the bout.
“I was impressed by the way he fought and controlled the fight for nine or ten rounds. The majority of that fight was controlled by Devin Haney,” he explained on JABS as part of the DAZN Boxing Show.
“The jab was impressive, and that's how he controlled the distance. He was thinking about feet, it wasn’t all about offence. It was putting the pressure on, he had another gear that we needed to see.
“It was ultimately how he survived those championship rounds when he was hurt. No fighter knows how he’s going to survive until he gets hurt, and he passed the test.
“All in all, I was very impressed by the young champion and he was only going to get better from here.
“He passed the test and that’s what we needed to see. He needs to grow up into the champion we know he is. That’s why he has the potential to be the best champion. When I said he has the best jab in boxing, I meant it.
“What he was doing in the first eight rounds with that jab was Floyd Mayweather Jr-like, and of course the body shot."