Bill Haney is clinging to the Teófimo Lopez storyline like a bulldog with a bone, even after the former unified lightweight king’s very public split with Saudi power-broker Turki Alalshikh appears to have sunk an August 16 Riyadh blockbuster. “Teofimo Lopez keeps ducking,” Bill blasted on X this week, insisting the matchup with his son Devin remains priority one.
The elder Haney’s persistence underscores a grim reality for Team Haney: without Lopez - or the now-unavailable Ryan Garcia - big-money dance partners at 140 pounds are scarce. Devin holds neither a world title nor the public momentum he once enjoyed, and potential welterweight opponents like IBF champ Jaron Ennis have little incentive to accommodate a challenger coming off a tepid points win over faded José Ramírez on May 2.
Watch Lopez vs. Barboza Jr. highlights: Watch
Critics argue the Haneys are acting more like entrepreneurs than prizefighters. Since Devin’s upset loss to Garcia in April 2024 and the multimillion-dollar payday it delivered, matchmaking has revolved around cash rather than contention. Bill’s social-media salvos at Lopez highlight the strategy: keep the biggest-draw name in the headlines, even if negotiations are frozen.
That approach frustrates us, fans, who would rather see Devin test himself against Gary Antuanne Russell, Richardson Hitchins, or even Shakur Stevenson. Those fights carry risk without guaranteeing Riyadh-sized purses, where boxers are moving towards the path of least resistance and maximum revenue.
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