Devin Haney believes Floyd Mayweather has messed up the current state of boxing.
'The Dream' is currently slated to return to the ring this weekend against Vasiliy Lomachenko. The two will battle for undisputed lightweight gold on ESPN pay-per-view, in a fight that promises to be one of the best of the year.
Ahead of his return, the unified lightweight champion made an appearance on The Pivot Podcast. There, Haney made some interesting comments about Floyd Mayweather. Specifically, he stated that the former four-division champion helped mess up the sport thanks to his undefeated record.
While 'Money' is one of the greatest boxers ever, he didn't get there without being careful. Mayweather has been criticized by fans and critics in the past for avoiding opponents until they were past their prime to have an easier path to victory.
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Devin Haney believes that rubbed off on the youngest generation of fighters. During his interview on the Podcast, he stated:
“In UFC those guys fight each other, lose, fight again still equally as big, may even be bigger after a loss... We can change the whole dynamic of it, but we're not. Floyd made boxing better, but Mayweather kinda messed up the game with the undefeated is everything so guys don’t wanna fight each other they wanna keep their 0."
See his comments in the video below:
Floyd Mayweather to be honored with Juneteenth WBC title
Ahead of his next fight, Floyd Mayweather will receive a ceremonial championship.
'Money' has been retired from professional boxing for years now, ever since a 2017 knockout win over Conor McGregor. That was the victory that put him at the perfect 50-0 record, but he's continued to compete in an exhibition capacity.
The former four-division champion is slated to return next month against John Gotti III. The grandson of former New York mobster John Gotti has accumulated a 2-0 record in the boxing ring, and a 5-1 record in the cage.
While Devin Haney believes that Floyd Mayweather might've messed up boxing a little, the WBC still wants to honor the legend. Earlier this week, council president Mauricio Sulaimán announced that Mayweather would receive a special Juneteenth-themed belt for his return.
"Juneteenth is a national holiday, and Floyd Mayweather is the best representative for success and glory through hard work and dedication. The WBC will thank and support these four great men who make life better for all every single day."