Haney-Paro Unification Talks Underway

Devin Haney's next fight may already be taking shape.

With the WBO mandatory situation unresolved following Keyshawn Davis' withdrawal and Shakur Stevenson publicly ruling out a catchweight fight in recent days, Haney's team has reportedly begun discussions over a unification bout against IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro. An October date in the United States is being targeted.

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The matchup carries genuine weight. Paro claimed the IBF belt in June and has not yet made a defense. Haney, 33-0 with 15 knockouts, holds the WBO title and has been looking for a significant opponent since the Davis withdrawal reopened his calendar. Two reigning world champions at 147 pounds in a unification fight is the kind of matchup the division needs.

For Haney, the Paro fight offers a path through a period that has been more complicated than his record suggests it should be. The Davis withdrawal was the latest in a series of negotiations that have come close and collapsed. Stevenson's insistence on a 144-pound catchweight made a deal there effectively impossible, and Haney's camp declined to accept terms that stripped him of his title leverage.

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Paro has his own reasons to want this fight. The IBF title is new and the Australian has not yet had the opportunity to defend it on a stage that announces him to a wider audience. A fight in the United States against Haney provides that platform immediately.

George Rose, Paro's No Limit Boxing promoter, confirmed earlier this week that his organization has been interested in a Pacquiao matchup, but the Haney unification would rank considerably higher in terms of divisional significance.

The October timeline is aggressive but workable. Haney has been ready to fight and has been unable to secure an opponent. Paro is freshly crowned and looking for his first significant defense. The WBO mandatory situation will need to be resolved separately, but a unification fight against the IBF champion would satisfy most observers.