Veteran trainer Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis made that point clearly when discussing the potential matchup, stressing that Haney’s foundation as a boxer gives him solutions regardless of the opponent in front of him.
“Dev got the style,” Bozy said. “He got the style to beat anybody.” said Bozy Ennis to YSM Sports Media.
In a vacuum, Haney’s technique is “elite,” but boxing isn’t played in a vacuum. It’s easy to say a technical wizard like Devin Haney has the solutions for a “wild card” like Rolly, but the math changes drastically when you look at the physical and stylistic nightmares waiting at 147 and 154.
If Haney stays at welterweight, the options are limited, and they’re dangerous. You can’t talk about Haney “handling any style” without addressing the left hook that dropped him multiple times in his fight with Ryan Garcia. Even with the controversy surrounding that fight, the blueprint for timing Haney’s rhythm is out there.
Bozy might be talking up Haney’s “purity” as a boxer, but he’s conveniently ignoring the biological and power-scaling walls Haney is starting to hit.
Shakhram Giyasov is high risk, low reward. Haney is a prizefighter in the literal sense; he wants the biggest checks. Fighting an avoided, high-skill technician like Giyasov doesn’t fit the business model, even if Bozy thinks the style wins.
Conor Benn is a physical powerhouse who fights with a localized aggression that tests a chin more than Rolly’s wide, looping shots ever could.
Moving up to junior middleweight feels like a bridge too far for Haney’s current frame. Against Sebastian Fundora, Haney would be giving up nearly a foot of height and a massive reach advantage. Trying to “outbox” a 6’6″ giant who fights like a short man inside is a nightmare for a distance-based fighter like Haney.
Jaron Ennis is the most telling one. Despite Bozy praising Haney’s style, he has been very protective of his own son in interviews, famously saying Haney “better leave Boots alone.” Bozy knows that while Haney has a great jab, Boots has the height, the switch-hitting versatility, and the “dog” in him to walk through what Haney offers.
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