Bill Haney appeared to hint at a major new contract for Devin Haney on social media, fueling more speculation about a possible move involving Zuffa Boxing.
The timing of Bill Haney’s post also comes as several fighters, including Teofimo Lopez and Conor Benn, have recently been linked to Zuffa Boxing discussions.
Eddie Hearn previously suggested that Haney’s financial expectations were rising beyond traditional promotional structures after his recent fights.
Devin Haney remains one of the biggest free-agent-level names around the welterweight division following his move away from lightweight and junior welterweight.
Bill Haney did not specify who the reported deal involved, but much of the online reaction centered around possible Zuffa Boxing involvement because of ongoing heavyweight spending in the sport.
After beating Gilberto Ramirez last weekend to become WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion, Benavidez immediately called out Dmitry Bivol.
Bivol, the Ring, IBF, WBA, and WBO light heavyweight champion, has business to attend to first. He’s returning to the ring against IBF mandatory Michael Eifert on May 30 in Russia following back surgery in August.
However, Benavidez, the WBC light heavyweight champion, told that discussions have already started behind the scenes.
🎥 The Ariel Helwani Show
In a February 2020 incident, Tyson Fury famously FaceTimed rival Anthony Joshua while having a drink at a local pub, a moment captured by cameras. During the call, they exchanged pleasantries before Joshua asked when they were fighting, showing the tense yet casual rivalry between the heavyweights.
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Vasiliy Lomachenko is set to make a stunning return to boxing.
Lomachenko had a spectacular amateur career, finishing with a record of 396-1 whilst becoming a two-time Olympic gold medallist, and he then entered the professional ranks and challenged for world honours in just his second bout.
It has been reported that he is set to out of his retirement and return this year for big fights only.
“Vasiliy Lomachenko is coming out of retirement and is targeting a return in fall of this year, sources tell Ring Magazine. Lomachenko’s contract with Top Rank expires and he’s now a promotional free agent. He only wants the big fights, no tuneups.”
Tim Tszyu will take on former undisputed champion Errol Spence Jr in a blockbuster bout on July 25 in Australia. It is a major stepping stone for the Aussie fighter’s comeback from three devastating losses in America in the space of 15 months, having lost his super welterweight title to Sebastian Fundora in March 2024 before demoralising defeats to Bakharam Murtazaliev and then to Fundora again.
Spence was once the undisputed king of the welterweight division, holding the WBA, WBC, and IBF straps. His last fight was a loss to Terence Crawford three years ago, and the American champion is now 36 years old. Spence will step up to super welterweight for his bout with Tszyu.
But as the pair came face to face, it was the local veteran who fired the first shot across his opponent’s bow. Tszyu offered a handshake to Spence, but the American refused it and walked straight past the Aussie.
Naoya Inoue cements his legacy with a unanimous decision win against Japanese Junto Nakatani to retain his undisputed super-bantamweight status in Tokyo.
𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒂𝒑𝒆: Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani
Scheduled for May 2, 2026, at the Tokyo Dome. Naoya «The Monster» Inoue vs. Junto «Big Bang» Nakatani is a historic, sold-out super-bantamweight clash between two undefeated Japanese champions. As the undisputed champion, Inoue brings elite power (27 KOs) against the naturally larger, taller southpaw Nakatani, creating a matchup of pound-for-pound elite in their prime.
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez revealed that he personally negotiated the release of his brother, who was kidnapped in Mexico during the week of his 2018 fight against Rocky Fielding. Over three days, Canelo negotiated by phone and chose not to involve authorities due to fears of police involvement. His brother was safely released. Despite the immense stress, Canelo went on to win the fight via third-round knockout.
Canelo expressed that this traumatic event highlighted the high level of insecurity in Mexico and was a reason for his frustration with the security situation in the country.
Various experts and polls consistently place boxing at the top of the «hardest sports» list, emphasizing its extreme physical and mental demands.
An ESPN panel of experts including sports scientists and athletes evaluated 60 sports across 10 categories, including endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, nerve, durability, hand-eye coordination, and analytical aptitude.
Boxing demands a high level of endurance (8.63/10), power (8.63/10), and nerve (8.88/10), requiring athletes to manage high-stakes risk while maintaining speed and agility in a 24/7 lifestyle.
According to these rankings, the top 5 most demanding sports are:
• 𝗕𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴
• 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆
• 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹
• 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹
• 𝗪𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
Ruslan Provodnikov was announced to be the next opponent of Manny Pacquiao, with the pair set to square off in an exhibition in Las Vegas on April 18.
Time passed and no promotion was given of the event, with Pacquiao instead announced to be facing Floyd Mayweather in a professional rematch in September.
Provodnikov has now responded to the claims, insisting he still believes it can take place at a later date.
“It’s disappointing that the fight won’t take place in April, but I’m hopeful it will happen in June. I really hope so, and I believe it.”
“We’ve prepared everything. As soon as they give the go-ahead, I’ll pack my bag and be ready to fly to America with my team”
“My professional career is already behind me. I’ve moved on to other things, other work, and today my focus is on my family.”
“Boxing is in the past. Exhibition fights, maybe — just to go out and entertain people — but to seriously come back and restart my career, no. Everything has its time.»
