Devin Haney reached for his past sacrifices after facing criticism over the direction of his career. Jimmy Kambosos and the abandoned Sandor Martin defense make that explanation far less convincing.

Haney argued that he had already proved himself by becoming undisputed at lightweight, fighting Vasiliy Lomachenko and moving up to defeat Regis Prograis. He also claimed that he accepted less money to fight George Kambosos Jr. twice in Australia.

“The difference is I proved myself before that, becoming undisputed, defending against Loma. 140 title versus Regis. Then came off a tough fight with Ryan, I needed time to recover. It wasn’t about the money. Stop the narrative. I took less money to fight Kambosos for undisputed, not once but twice,” Haney posted on X.

Jimmy Kambosos, George Jr.’s father, challenged that version of events. He stated that he personally made the original deal with Lomachenko’s manager, Egis Klimas, and that Haney later offered to accept the same financial package.

Lomachenko had been lined up to face Kambosos before remaining in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. Once that fight disappeared, Haney stepped forward and publicly agreed to the terms already offered to Lomachenko.

The elder Kambosos also noted that his son defeated Teofimo Lopez and then faced Haney twice within 11 months. That schedule makes Haney’s appeal to his 2022 accomplishments feel dated. It explains what he once accepted, not how he has handled less appealing opportunities since then.

The Sandor Martin Problem

Haney’s decision involving Sandor Martin is harder to explain.

Top Rank submitted an unopposed $2.42 million purse bid in June 2024 for Haney’s mandatory WBC light welterweight title defense. Under the WBC distribution, Haney was guaranteed approximately $1.52 million, with another portion reserved as a bonus for the winner.

Six days later, Haney requested “Champion in Recess” status. Alberto Puello was elevated, leaving Haney free of the Martin mandatory while preserving a possible route back into the WBC title picture.

That was not a complete relinquishment of every future claim, but the practical result was obvious: Haney avoided Martin and the $1.52 million payday.

BluntsAndBoxing raised the example while challenging Dan Canobbio’s criticism of boxing purses. It fits a larger pattern. Hamzah Sheeraz recently surrendered his WBO super middleweight title rather than face Janibek Alimkhanuly for roughly $750,000. Keyshawn Davis rejected an estimated $2.1 million share from the $8.55 million purse bid for a WBO welterweight title fight against Haney.

These are not obscure fighters being offered survival money. They are leading names rejecting seven-figure championship opportunities because their teams believe voluntary fights or future promotional deals carry greater value.

The real issue is that championship belts no longer carry enough financial power to force leading fighters into dangerous fights. When a mandatory offers high risk without superstar money, teams discard the belt and search for a softer commercial option.

Haney can point to Kambosos, Lomachenko and Prograis. Those fights deserve credit. They do not erase the Martin decision or answer the criticism surrounding his inactivity.

Jimmy Kambosos kept his response respectful, but he punctured the larger argument. Haney’s past proves that he once chased difficult championship fights. His more recent decisions show that price now plays a much larger role.

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