Aussie world champion Liam Paro says Devin Haney ducking welterweight unification blockbuster fight, Haney in talks with Jack Catterall instead, latest news

Australia’s Liam Paro has accused American superstar Devin Haney of deliberately ducking a unification blockbuster between the pair, stressing: “I’ve said I’m good to fight and we ain’t heard a thing”.

As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia last week, Paro’s camp has been in discussions with Team Haney for what was initially hoped to be an October showdown for both the IBF and WBO welterweight titles.

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For Paro, a Haney showcase – most likely staged in the United States – would have represented his first defence of the IBF welterweight crown won against Lewis Crocker in June.

In recent days however, US reports have suggested Paro effectively priced himself out of the fight by demanding too much via promoters No Limit.

As a result, Haney is now said to be chasing a world title defence against Englishman Jack Catterall.

Commenting on the drama over the weekend, former world champion Timothy Bradley even suggested Paro was ducking Haney by asking for too much money.

“Did Liam Paro price himself out? Is that another form of duck?” Bradley asked, before then answering his own question with: “That’s another form of ducking right there.”

However, when contacted this week, Paro strenuously denied the suggestions he was pricing himself out of the contest, and instead said it was Haney who was deliberately avoiding him.

“Haney is ducking me,” Paro told Fox Sports Australia. “I’ve said I’m good to fight by the end of October, and we ain’t heard a thing.”

Pushed on his desire to fight Haney next, the popular Queenslander continued: “I’ll fight him next no worries.

“You know I’ll fight anyone. And I’ve proved that my whole career.

“I’ll fight him in his backyard or mine.

“I’m the IBF welterweight champion. This is a big unification fight with a lot on the line.”

Elsewhere, No Limit promoter George Rose also confirmed his client wants the Haney fight.

“We have plans in place for Liam and, originally, Haney wasn’t in those,” he explained. “But after speaking with Team Paro, they’ve indicated to us that if we can get the right deal done, it’s the big fight they want.

“Paro versus Haney is a big fight.”

The latest drama continues a hectic few weeks for the welterweight division, with Haney initially thought to be finalising a fight with his WBO mandatory, fellow American star Keyshawn Davis.

However, that fight surprisingly collapsed after Davis withdrew from negotiations, and amid suggestions he was unsatisfied with a proposed purse of US$2.13 million.

Following the breakdown, there were then whispers of a rematch between Haney and Brian Norman Jnr, who he beat for the WBO welterweight crown last November.

However, Haney quickly shot those down on social media last week, tweeting of a second fight: “It’s not happening. I tell you that right now.”

The team then opened discussions with Paro, and were thought to be finalising an October fight.

But now there are suggestions that fight may also be off, and Team Haney could be shifting focus to Catterall.

Certainly Catterall’s manager, Sam Jones, has appeared to suggest as much via social media.

“I wouldn’t say advanced [negotiations], but we’ve accepted the fight and the date proposed,” he wrote. “We are easy to deal with. We’re not greedy or delusional.

“Let’s get the fight on and get the contracts signed.

“What I hope isn’t the case is that Jack is being used as a decoy. Paro is scared of taking the fight for less money than he’s wanting. All I can tell you is we’ve accepted the fight and the date and location. So if the fight doesn’t happen, it’s not on Jack.”

Elsewhere this week, both Ryan Garcia and Rolly Romero have shown little interest in a Haney unification fight.

In fact, Garcia said he would not be putting his WBC strap on the line unless Haney first apologises to him.

Bizarrely, it comes after Garcia tested positive for a banned substance, ostarine, following his majority decision win between the pair in April 2024 – which resulted in the bout being declared a ‘No Contest’ and him being suspended for a year.

Garcia will next defend against England’s Conor Benn in September, and discussed his issues with Haney during an interview with The Ring’s Mike Coppinger.

“Until he admits that they f***** with my s***,” Garcia said, “or something there was going on, I’m never gonna fight him — I promise you. Unless he tells the truth, I won’t ever.”

Garcia maintains his innocence over the positive result.

“[Haney’s] little brother supposedly knew that I did [it], I was gonna get caught with steroids,” Garcia said. “They never address it. They never say that. Why would his little brother go on his [Instagram] story and say, ‘Ryan Garcia’s gonna get caught for steroids.’ How the f*** did you know? Right? Tested for four months straight — nothing, nothing, clean, clean, clean, clean, clean.

“F****** all of a sudden, f***** three weeks, four weeks after the fight, ‘Oh yeah, by the way, Ryan got caught with steroids.’ Wouldn’t you have found that right away? You know? Especially if you tested before and after? Like there’s a lotta little sketchy things to that. And like I said, bro, I won’t ever fight them again, unless they start telling the truth.”

Garcia stressed he wasn’t simply trying to build hype for the fight with his threats.

“That’s not what I’m trying to do,” he said. “I’m just specifically saying if you guys don’t admit some s***, you won’t ever see [the rematch], bro. And guess what? It’s gonna eat you forever because that iconic picture lives on forever. Whenever you talk s***, all I gotta do is post the picture of me [standing] over you. You gotta sit with that. So, buddy, either you gotta start telling the truth or you won’t ever catch this fade again.”

Elsewhere this week, WBA welterweight champ Rolly Romero also shot down the chances of himself and Haney throwing down.

“No,” he told FightHub TV.

“We sent him an offer, a great lucrative offer. He decided not to take the fight because Devin Haney Promotions isn’t a real promotion company, as we see he can’t bid in own purse bids because he’s not a real promotion company.

“On top of that, they’re always fighting for a going out of business sale. But regardless of everything, me and Devin are never going to fight because Devin is scared of me, and I’m not going to waste my time.”