Promoter Eddie Hearn is working to put together a deal for former two-weight world champion Devin Haney to return to the 140 division and challenge undefeated Liam Paro for his newly won IBF light welterweight title on December 7 in Australia.
The IBF rehydration limit: A major hurdle for Haney
The fight could be brutal for Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) due to the International Boxing Federation’s 10-pound rehydration limit. Haney, who rehydrates enormous amounts of weight, would have to restrict his fluid intake overnight to meet the 10-pound rehydration limit on fight morning.
If Haney gets big money for the fight, he can handle the IBF’s 10-pound rehydration limit, but his chances of winning the fight against the hard-nosed Paro (25-0, 15 KOs) would be diminished. Whether Haney can safely return to the 140-pound division is questionable, as his last two fights against Ryan Garcia and Regis Prograis have seen him look like death on earth when he made the weight.
Haney, a native of San Francisco, was a skeleton at the weigh-in for those fights, his eyes sunken and so emaciated that there were concerns about whether he would make it to the fights. When a fighter is as drained as Haney, there are concerns about his health.
That might be one of the reasons why Haney got beat up by Ryan last April. His punch resistance wasn’t enough for the fight and he was repeatedly knocked down by Ryan in a 12-round loss in Brooklyn, New York.
Haney won’t be at his best. He’s young enough for that, but it’s only a good idea for him to agree to this fight if the IBF lifts its 10-pound rule and makes an exception. No one would do that if they had to go without fluids until the day of the fight, especially one as big as Haney.
“I’ve spoken to him (Haney) and he says if the deal is right, I don’t think he would have a problem with it,” Hearn told BoxingScene.
Paro: An impressive opponent
If Haney gets big money for the fight, it makes sense for him to take it as long as he can meet the IBF’s 10-pound rehydration limit. Haney fought twice in Australia in 2022, defeating George Kambosos Jr. However, the little “Emperor” isn’t nearly as talented as Liam Paro, and it will be much harder for Haney to defeat him.
A powerful puncher with a strong chin, left-handed Paro just earned a 12-round unanimous decision victory over IBF middleweight (145 lbs) champion Subriel Matias on June 15 in Manatí, Puerto Rico.
Paro used moves, shoves and grapples to neutralize Matias’ power. Paro used a lot of brawling tactics, but they were effective against the limited Matias, who looked like he didn’t know how to handle what he was doing.
