Devin Haney: Loma is a 'privileged sore loser' ... 'I want my $400K back for the push'

I say all this even though I'm not a Devin Haney fan. I find him boring. He can't punch. He holds too much. And on and on.

However, Devin Haney fought on nothing cards in Tijuana, Mexico, for the first couple years of his career. He'd occasionally get a spot buried on a PPV undercard if he happened to be a sparring partner for one of the featured boxers ... and then it was back to being buried on crap undercards. He got into position to win a belt by winning regional boxing belts, fighting his way up the ladder. He's had a handful of different promoters, none of whom put him first. Not even this last one, Arum, who just signed him before the Kambosos rematch so he could secure LOMA another title shot.

Loma turned pro with a million-dollar contract. He's gotten the benefit of working with arguably the most powerful promoter in boxing his entire pro career. Loma's received years of extensive media coverage profiles/interviews/docs on ESPN and, before that, he got the star treatment with HBO. His powerful promoter somehow got him a title shot in his second pro bout (skipping the 20 or so pro fights in the weeds every other new pro has to slog through). AND, when Loma failed in his title attempt, got a another title shot in his THIRD pro fight.

Then Loma received a title shot in his first fight at super feather. And he received a title shot in his first fight at lightweight.

And on the rare occasion when a decision doesn't go Loma's way, everyone JUMPS into action to make the road back even smoother for him. He's never been told to go back to the end of the line. He started at the front.

Now Loma is appealing individually to ALL FOUR boxing organizations, demanding a rematch. Some boxers spend their entire careers fighting and never get a title shot. Loma has had title fights handed to him since fight 2. He's only had two pro fights that weren't for some "belt." He's been catered and treated like a star his entire pro career.

No wonder fighters who came up the hard way as pros, like Haney, feel Loma is privileged. Because he is.

Excellent fighter. But incredibly privileged all the same.

At some point, you can't always finish first, even when the deck has always been stacked in your favor.

And, maybe, when you've had every break, don't whine when someone else gets their own break at your expense.

 

Loma was fast-tracked as a pro because he wouldn't sign with a promoter unless they agreed to get him a title shot by fight number two. He was demanding a title shot before he had one pro fight.

He met with Kathi Duva first and said he wanted a title shot in his pro debut. She said it was impossible. He met with Oscar. Oscar said he couldn't do it by fight number one but he could by fight number two. Loma agreed to sign with him, but Oscar must've gotten high or had something shoved too far up his rear to think straight, or both, and never sent Loma the contracts.

So Loma met with Bob Arum and told him he wanted a title fight in his first pro fight. Bob said he couldn't do it either, but he could in his second pro fight. Loma would have to get ranked first, and Bob said he could get him a regional title fight for his first pro fight.

Loma signed with Top Rank. And Bob got him a regional title fight first, and then a title shot in fight two, which Loma lost, and then another title shot in fight number three.

That's the definition of privilege. Pay me a big contract and get me a title fight before everyone else who has been working their way up the ranks. And, when I lose that quick title shot, get me another one, NOW.

It is what it is.