The WBO has started a 20-day clock that could cost Devin Haney his welterweight world title.
The sanctioning body officially ordered Haney to negotiate a mandatory defense against Keyshawn Davis, and if the two sides fail to strike a deal inside that window, purse bid proceedings can be requested with the money split 75% to the champion and 25% to the challenger.
The order escalates an earlier WBO warning that Haney must fight Davis or vacate the belt. That general ultimatum now comes with a firm deadline and concrete financial terms attached, per Boxing News.
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri laid out the terms in an official statement.
The WBO Championship Committee has officially ordered the commencement of negotiations for the WBO Welterweight Mandatory Championship Title Defence between World Champion Devin Haney and the WBO’s #1 world-rated contender & mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis,” Olivieri said.
Pursuant to the Committee’s ruling and the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests, the parties are granted twenty (20) days to reach an agreement. Failing such agreement, purse bid proceedings may be requested, with the purse split to be distributed 75% to the Champion and 25% to the Challenger, in accordance with the WBO Rules.
Haney’s First Welterweight Mandatory
Haney won the belt in November by defeating Brian Norman Jr, becoming a three-weight world champion. This is his first mandatory defense of the welterweight title.
Davis hasn’t fought at 147lbs but is well-ranked due to previously holding the WBO belt at lightweight. He only just made the super-lightweight limit for his most recent outing, a unanimous decision win over Nahir Albright, and signaled shortly after that he would move up in weight.
On paper it is a compelling test, with Davis’ speed and calculated aggression matched against Haney’s elite defense.
The Stevenson Complication
The deadline matters because Haney has other plans. He has been in a public back-and-forth with Shakur Stevenson over a catchweight bout, and Stevenson has continued to push for that fight.
All attention now turns to Haney, who might be content to drop the belt and chase bigger names such as Stevenson or a returning Gervonta Davis rather than accept the mandatory.