“I think he should be given a lot of credit for that because he didn’t have to vacate the belts. Haney could watch him perform with Regis Prograis. If he had lost, the titles would have guaranteed him the right to return and defend them as champion.
So this is a bold move. Of course, this is an act that demonstrates his amazing confidence. Respect to Haney for not taking away opportunities from other fighters. Sometimes when teams find themselves in this position before a fight, they say, “No, no, no. We will hold onto the belts until our last breath, until we have to get rid of them,” Hearn said.