Devin Haney’s status as the junior welterweight division champion has changed to WBC ‘Champion in Recess’ after he asked for the modification because he couldn’t defend his title against Sandor Martin. The decision was approved by the WBC Board of Governors in response to Haney’s request which came after a planned Haney-Martin title fight fell through despite Top Rank securing the rights for it.
Following a loss to Ryan Garcia, Haney chose to step back as champion and may take a break for the remainder of the year. The mandated match between him and Martin couldn’t proceed as negotiations between the parties didn’t lead to an agreement. Garcia’s positive drug test also played a part in the complications, resulting in resolving the issue with the New York State Athletic Commission.
Now, Albert Puello, who was recently promoted to a full titlist, will compete against Martin for the title, overturning Top Rank’s successful purse bid. Gary Antuanne Russell is designated as the upcoming challenger after Puello defeated him in an interim title bout. Haney is speculated to move up to welterweight in the future, but his exact plans beyond that remain uncertain for now.
