Aiming to become a three-division world champion, Devin Haney will launch his welterweight campaign in November against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. Although ‘The Dream’ fought at 140+ lbs catchweight in his last fight in May, this marks his official debut at 147 lbs. Despite the formidable challenge posed by Norman Jr., who is on a three-fight knockout streak, Haney is already mapping out his next steps.

And on top of his list lies Conor Benn, who took the welterweight division by storm before transitioning to a legacy fight against Chris Eubank Jr. at middleweight. And if things had worked out his way, he would have stayed there for the eventual rematch. However, with things seemingly falling apart with the Eubank Jr rematch, we might see his return to 147. And if that happens, Devin Haney is ready.

The first name on Devin Haney’s hit list

During the Ring press event recently, ‘The Dream’ touched upon his future plans in his new division. He made it clear that he plans to stay here even after the Brian Norman Jr. matchup, and when one of the interviewers mentioned Conor Benn as a potential opponent, the 26-year-old didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, for sure,” he said. However, the former undisputed lightweight champion is aware of ‘The Destroyer’s’ recent ventures at middleweight. “But, you know, we got to see him(Benn) back at 147, right? His last fight was, I think, at 160. Yeah, 160. I think he’s still, I think they’re about to do another fight at 160,” he said, referring to the Benn-Eubank Jr. potential rematch. However, unbeknownst to ‘The Dream,’ the anticipated rematch is on the brink of collapse.

In their initial bout, the IBO middleweight champion, accustomed to competing in heavier divisions, faced difficulties cutting down as a result of the rehydration clause. His team, therefore, has not yet committed to a rematch. This hesitation nearly led His Excellency, constrained by a tight schedule, to distance himself from the fight altogether.

Regardless, Devin Haney concluded, “If he comes back down to 147 and uh yeah. But I want him to fight, actually fight, at 147 first, rather than, you know, me just hoping that he makes weight and then, but yeah. If he comes back to down to 147, of course. Yeah, I’ll let him make that fight.”

So, as things stand, we might see Conor Benn back in welterweight, and if that happens, Devin Haney will be prepared, given ‘The Destroyer’ is ready to compete at 147. And in a remarkable twist, the Brit is already planning a move back down, maybe even further down for the right fight.

Conor Benn captures a world champion’s interest

Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, bashed Eubank Jr. and his team for making a mockery out of the rematch negotiations. Furthermore, the promoter confirmed that if the rematch isn’t finalized soon, they will look at other options. And the 23-1 fighter made things easier for his promoter when he appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show alongside Shakur Stevenson.

The Brit got into a heated argument with the WBC lightweight champion, with both bashing each other over their careers. By the time the argument was resolved, the pair had agreed to a fight. “Honestly, we can do that next. I’m not one of them fighters that sit there and talk about it and go, ‘Listen, let’s just do it for the media.’ Let’s do it next. We can do it in London,” Benn said, discussing the potential matchup.

Stevenson didn’t back down, stating, “I’m down,” accepting the challenge. Benn explained that if the Eubank rematch does not happen, he will be ready for the Stevenson fight next year, though they didn’t confirm the weight. From the looks of it, Conor Benn has his hands full with several elite opponents eyeing a challenge against him. If he plays his cards right, he might have a blockbuster 2026. So, let’s just hope he doesn’t mess it up. What do you think?