Devin Haney hasn’t had a single fight at 140 pounds, but the work he’s put in at 135 pounds is something Lenny Wilson, head trainer of Richardson Hitchins, simply can’t ignore.
Most talk a big game, but Haney actually did it. During his protracted time there, Haney fought the best of the best. Back-to-back wins over George Kambosos Jr. made him an undisputed champion but taking out Vasiliy Lomachenko solidified him as the man to beat.
Haney did it all, so he felt no need to stick around, despite Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta remaining on his lightweight hit list.
On December 9th, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Haney will officially make his super lightweight debut against Regis Prograis. It doesn’t quite matter what Wilson will be doing on that night. He’s cleared out his calendar and plans on watching every second of every round. Wilson isn’t tuning in for entertainment purposes but more so to do his due diligence.
In his view, Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) will be dominant at 140 pounds. He also believes that Hitchins will clear out the division. Once they both hold up their ends of the bargain, Wilson is convinced that they’ll meet at the top of the heap.
“For sure, for sure,” said Lenny to BoxingScene.com when asked if Hitchins vs. Haney is a gigantic fight in the near future. “It would be a great fight down the line.”
For the first time in the career of Hitchins, he was asked to step up. Jose Zepeda wasn’t your typical run-of-the-mill contender. Having fought for the lightweight title several times, including last year, some were under the assumption that Hitchins was biting off more than he could chew. Ultimately, he proved that was an erroneous statement.
Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) dominated his man, scoring an easy, yet somewhat mundane decision. The goal for the former Olympian is to grab one of those shiny championships. But much like his coach, Hitchins knows that a matchup with Haney is a possibility.
That showdown is more likely for down the road. But from a credential and name perspective, Haney seemingly has the edge. Wilson though, is on the other side of the fence.
Whenever they do meet up, and lightweight supremacy is on the line, Wilson explained why his man, and not the former undisputed lightweight champ, would come out on top.
“Because of his athleticism. He has a good jab, good ring IQ, he’s patient, very selective with his punches, and he’s accurate.”