“I love Devin. We’ve talked and if a fight made sense or a number made sense, but he wants crazy money,” said Hearn to iFL TV. “You need someone that’s desperate to pay to overpay the marketplace. Bit like I did with him years ago.”
Hearn says Haney’s options are limited if he is unwilling to take dangerous fights without a massive purse.
“If I signed Devin, I just don’t know what I would do with him.”
Hearn floated one possibility involving the winner of Jack Catterall’s planned fight with Shakhram Giyasov, but immediately dismissed it as unrealistic.
“Devin against the winner of Jack Catterall against Shakhram Giyasov. Okay, Devin’s not interested in that. Devin just wants huge money,” said Hearn.
Even with the massive social media circus surrounding the Ryan Garcia fight, that event didn’t reach the mega-fight status many expected. While it was Haney’s peak, it proved he needs a polarizing, high-draw opponent just to get in the conversation. Without Ryan, he has not brought in large PPV numbers.
Doing 50k–60k buys for a title fight at 140 lbs against Regis Prograis is catastrophic when you’re insisting on a large purse. Hearn might have disputed the exact low-end figures, but his recent comments prove he was losing his shirt on those deals.
Even against a living legend like Vasily Lomachenko 150k buys is barely mid-tier. It shows that “hardcore” fans will show up, but Haney doesn’t cross over into the mainstream.
Hearn’s recent “I don’t know what I’d do with him” comment is basically a polite way of saying Haney is bad for business.
Hearn admitted he overpaid to build Haney’s brand years ago. Now that the brand is built, it isn’t generating the return on investment to justify the “crazy money” demands.
Haney’s style is technically brilliant but often labeled “boring” by casual fans. In a PPV world, if you aren’t knocking people out or selling a massive grudge, people won’t reach for their wallets.
Bill Haney has been vocal about Devin’s “undisputed” status and three-division aspirations, but Hearn’s point is that legacy doesn’t pay the lighting bill at the arena.
Haney remains one of boxing’s best-known names, but Hearn’s comments point to a growing issue for star fighters between divisions: reputation can attract headlines, yet promoters still need fights that make business sense.
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