Devin Haney has now confirmed that he has lost his mother, April Clay. The update follows a period of confusion over the last few days that saw conflicting reports about his mother’s death.

Amid a lack of clarity over whether Ms. Clay had indeed passed away, what made things even harder were Gervonta Davis‘s extremely unsavory comments. A string of deleted posts from the now-former WBA lightweight champion, in which he seemingly made some distasteful comments about Haney’s mother, drew severe backlash on social media. While he has yet to address Davis’ comments directly, Devin Haney made his intentions clear in his latest tweet.

“Mom, you birth a champion… I love & miss you… I will make them all pay InshaAllah 🙏🏽🤲🏽❤️,” his message on X read.

The post was accompanied by a short video featuring Haney, while being tended to by a cornerman post-fight, speaking to his mother, who joined the crowd in the dressing room to celebrate his victory.

“Ma, I told you,” he could be seen telling his mother. “I told you. Listen. Hey, was it last night? I said, ‘Ma, watch, watch. You going to see. I told my mom, I said, ‘I’m going to make this so easy. Watch.’ I said, ‘Ma, you birthed a champion. Watch.’

While it’s difficult to ascertain which fight the clip is from, Haney, in his grief after his mother’s passing, seems to be referring to the same words he told his mother before the fight mentioned in the clip.

To set the record clear, five days ago, in a separate Facebook post, his mother’s uncle confirmed April Clay’s passing.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my niece April Clay (Boxer Devin Haney’s mom) passed away today unexpectedly,” Jerome Clay wrote.

Taking those memories into consideration, Haney clearly misses his mother. But his message also points to lingering anger, likely directed towards one man who, despite his long absence from the ring, has continued to stay in the spotlight and take potshots at his rivals. Most users seem to agree that this time Tank Davis went too far.

A series of messages from the former lightweight champion on Instagram gained traction a few days ago. As he is usually known to do, this time Tank deleted his messages soon after posting them. Taking note of that habit, some users took screenshots that were later made available publicly.

“She’s doing exactly the same thing as her son. She’s gone to sleep,” an Instagram post featuring Devin Haney’s mother’s face read.

The caption on one of Gervonta Davis’ Instagram Story around this time read, “Crazy how buddy talked about my mom only for his mom to check a few weeks later… now POST that. Inshallah.”

Featuring a victory emoji, below a photo of Haney’s mother, Tank reportedly wrote, “Poof.”

The move, however, backfired. Tank Davis soon became a central figure against whom everyone rallied. While the rivalry between Haney and the Baltimorean is well acknowledged, no one expected it to reach a point where parents, especially one who is no longer alive, would be dragged into it.

For Tank, it may not be a one-off case in which he vented his frustration at a rival. Last year, after SNAC founder Victor Conte passed away, Davis’s comments, in which he said, “Good day in boxing…no more snack for you b—rds,” gained considerable traction.

What may add another layer to the situation is that just a year ago, Tank had presented a more respectful side during the lead-up to the title defense against Lamont Roach Jr.

While the bout ended up becoming one of 2025’s most controversial, the prelude saw Davis, who is known for trash-talking his opponents, speaking with restraint since Roach’s mother was sitting alongside the milling crowd.

Devin Haney vs. Gervonta Davis: No bell, no fight, just bitter words

Some fans, meanwhile, took the opportunity to point out how Haney himself had insulted Tank and his mother by posting a distasteful comment on Father’s Day. “I’ll post Tank Dad for Father’s Day since he won’t… Happy Father’s Day, big Tank! That’s f**ked up; you broke, and you made him move out of the house,” Haney reportedly wrote, pointing indirectly at Tank’s difficult childhood.

Beyond that back-and-forth, Haney and Davis share a rivalry that goes back years. From the days when they infamously sparred in Floyd Mayweather’s gym to the period when they ruled the 135-pound weight class as champions, the rivalry largely stayed confined to online banter and interviews where the two sides criticized each other.

Many were disappointed that Haney and Davis never stepped into the ring for a face-off.

Eventually, after years of impasse, their career trajectories veered off in different directions. While Haney is now the WBO welterweight champion, Davis, following a string of legal problems and inactivity, is now a former title holder at lightweight.

Recently, reports indicated that the two sides were discussing a potential fight. But differences over payout and weight likely derailed the plan. With reports now suggesting Tanks may not return until next year, a fight between two of the biggest names in boxing may remain limited to online exchanges that have now descended into offensive slander.