Former two-weight champion Timothy Bradley has dismissed Devin Haney’s track record so far.
Haney was elevated to WBC lightweight champion from interim champion in 2019 when the organisation reclassified Vasily Lomachenko as the franchise champion.
Bradley, a former light welterweight and welterweight world champion over the course of his own career, believes that Haney has yet to fight anyone of real merit.
22-year-old Haney is one of several emerging lightweight talents in a division that seems set to produce several high-profile fights a year in the near future. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez and Richard Commey are all in contention for title fights.
Speaking to DAZN’s Ak & Barak Show, Bradley said: “Devin Haney is a champion. At this point, he doesn’t like me so well because of my opinion towards him and the way he’s been handling his business.
“Have you seen him in the ring with anybody that you would say, ‘Hmmm, I wonder if he can win this fight?’
“With anyone he’s been in the ring with, have you doubted him and his skillset, and them and their skillset?
“You’re like, ‘He’s fighting this guy: Oh, Devin Haney’s going to win that fight.’ Is there any hesitation for any fake fighter he’s faced?”
Bradley then highlighted the manner in which Haney became the champion, without having to fight another boxer for the belt.
“That’s the issue I’m having with Haney: First of all, Haney became a champion.
“He was lifted to become a champion because Loma[chenko] didn't fight him. Loma fought Teofimo Lopez. He didn’t fight anyone for the belt.
“That’s not his fault, I would have took the belt too. But after that have we seen him fight anyone in the top 10 or top 15, like a Richard Commey, or [Masayoshi] Nakatani, someone you’ve got to think twice.”