James Toney labels Keyshawn Davis a ‘duck’ over Devin Haney fight

James Toney has accused Keyshawn Davis of avoiding Devin Haney after the American lightweight turned down a proposed world-title fight. Davis initially rejected a $3 million offer to challenge Haney for the WBO welterweight championship before the contest proceeded to a purse bid.

Top Rank won that process with an $8.55 million offer. Under the WBO’s 75-25 division of the purse, Davis would have received approximately $2.13 million. He later withdrew from the fight and gave up his mandatory position, prompting Toney to brand the decision as a “duck”.

Toney’s view is that Davis should have accepted the available money, taken the opportunity to beat Haney and used a victory to increase his future earning power. The former champion argued that Davis had not yet achieved enough to demand the larger figure he wanted and should have focused on proving himself in the ring.

The financial dispute centred on Davis seeking $5 million after management fees. Mike Coppinger had disclosed that Davis had earned no more than $1 million for an earlier bout, meaning the initial Haney offer was already three times his previous career-best purse. The purse-bid result, however, reduced the amount available to him to roughly $2.13 million.

Davis also faced a significant sporting risk. He had boxed only twice at light welterweight, or 140 pounds, and the Haney contest would have required him to move to welterweight at 147 pounds. Haney is a three-division champion, making the proposed fight a major step up for Davis.

A defeat could have affected Davis’s earning power beyond the immediate purse, while victory would have delivered the WBO title, strengthened his negotiating position and become the biggest win of his career. That balance has made the criticism more complicated, but Davis’s rejection of the offer has left Toney with a clear target.