Devin Haney draws some heightened reactions from fans and followers. Take the latest instance. Footage of Haney and Liam Paro‘s sparring session has been gaining considerable traction. But a close perusal of the comments will help gauge the overall vibe. Most seem to have one or the other criticism against the former undisputed champion, who turned 26 three weeks ago.

Talks of Devin Haney’s highly anticipated comeback have been grabbing headlines. Following the controversial fight against Ryan Garcia, he stepped out of the ring for a few months. Though initially decided as a majority decision win for Garcia, the April 20 match was declared a ‘no contest’ following Garcia’s failure to clear tests for banned substances. Haney retained his light welterweight title. Though his record remained unblemished, his reputation, nevertheless, took an apparent hit. ‘The Dream’ became a troll favorite.

Another sparring session brought out in the open

For the record, Devin Haney shared the footage through his Twitter handle. He said, “Old files… me & Paro… I think he will be Champion again someday.” The Fight Hub TV‘s post on Instagram nevertheless attracted considerable attention. “LEAKED‼️ Devin Haney leaked a sparring session between himself and Liam Paro,” their message read.

Interestingly, the sparring footage follows Paro’s split decision loss to Richardson Hitchins last week. With the Brooklynite now taking over the mantle as the IBF light welterweight champion, a clash with Devin Haney becomes highly likely.

A few reports suggested ‘The Dream’ had a tough time against Paro. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case. An engaging session witnessed both the boxers engaged in an interesting back-and-forth game. Paro, the southpaw, moved around, using his jabs to keep Haney away. The latter, in turn, would close in, throwing some neat uppercuts. Standing near the ropes, his father, Bill Haney, pepped up the atmosphere.

But it appears many fans weren’t willing to buy the leak. Let’s check what some of them had to say.

Devin Haney: Facing challenges—inside and outside the ring

To this follower, Liam Paro gave a tough time to Devin Haney, it seems. “Why is Devin’s dad and his lil homies trying to hype him up like he did some 😂😂?😂 Liam was giving him a good sparring session from what I [seen] in this video,” they said. The fact that Devin Haney’s father and team members were egging him on didn’t seem to have any effect, it seems.

To the next one, Liam Paro’s southpaw savvy caught the better of Devin Haney. They said, “Got hit with the left so many times 😂. There must be a reason why ‘The Dream’ picked a southpaw for sparring. Any left-handed champion or ranked contender in mind?

The following fan took up the age-old weight grouse against Devin Haney. They said, “Weight bullying, even in sparring 😂😂Ryan, might knock him out in the next fight.” Though a rematch against Garcia remains one of the most anticipated matchups, many feel that ‘KingRy’ will score an outright win over Haney.

This user brushed aside the sparring footage. “Nobody cares; please retire Haney,” they said, echoing the sentiments of many who feel that Devin Haney should retire. Like clockwork, if it’s about Haney, one could barely afford to ignore the lawsuit issue. This fan said, “Hopefully he doesn’t press charges on this sparring session.” It was a clear jibe; nevertheless, they didn’t want Liam Paro to end up in a similar situation as Ryan Garcia did, months after their infamous fight.

From denials to outright calls for retirement, it was a showcase of disapproval, perhaps.

Maybe fans could wait till Devin Haney’s next matchup unfolds. He is a young boxer who has thrilled scores of fans in the past. Hence he deserves a chance to make a strong comeback. A solid performance against a well-known challenger should do well to quell all criticisms and reestablish his name among the current PPV draws.

What about you? Did you get to see the Haney-Paro footage? What are your thoughts about it?