Devin Haney has been saddled with the unfortunate label of a ‘runner’ following his lackluster bout against Jose Ramirez in early May. The fight drew criticism for its slow pace, with even commentators involved struggling to hide their boredom as the action unfolded. Making matters worse, CompuBox recorded just 503 combined punches thrown, marking the fourth-lowest total in a 12-round fight in the 40-year history of their tracking. Despite the backlash, Devin’s father has pushed back against the criticism, roping in Floyd Mayweather to make his point.

Haney Sr. recently appeared in an interview with a popular name in boxing circles, ShowBizz The Adult, where the pair got into a heated back-and-forth regarding Haney and his new and shiny label. “You are the new guy on the block,” Haney told ShowBizz, who has been allowed to build narratives around fighters, something Haney Sr. wants him “to knock that s**t down.” Haney argued that the “running [thing]” came after “the clinching rule.” Haney asked, “You remember the clinching rule?”

When ShowBizz claimed he knew about the rule, Haney claimed, “This s**t ain’t new. Y’all just making this s**t up as you go along.” However, the YouTuber wasn’t about to have any of it, reminding Haney not to use the word “Y’all” because they were discussing ShowBizz’s take that Devin Haney was running during the fight against Ramirez. Yet, Bill Haney interrupted, claiming, “They said Floyd was a runner,” trying to suggest that his son is a great boxer similar to five-division champion Floyd Mayweather.

ShowBizz had to intervene again, noting, “I don’t care about ‘they’. I’m talking about me. Have I ever called Floyd a runner?” Haney Sr. suggested it doesn’t matter who said it because ShowBizz was part of ‘they,’ just for the YouTuber to remind Haney, “I’m not part of ‘they,’ Bill. See, now you’re playing. Bill, man to man, I’m me. You’re you. Don’t do ‘they’. Don’t play.” This prompted Haney to take a different approach, as he noted that people, alongside ShowBizz, have associated Floyd Mayweather with ‘runner’ just like his son.

ShowBizz defended himself, claiming he had never called Devin Haney a ‘runner’ before his fight against Ramirez. “I have never said Devin was a runner. I saw him as a skilled fighter with a fantastic jab. [Against] Ramirez, he ran,” ShowBizz said. Haney took another jab at getting his point across, stating, “A guy on the other side of the mic has described Floyd as running before.” But ShowBizz wasn’t about to accept Haney’s point, noting, “I don’t give a damn. I am not the guy on the other side of the mic.”

Whether or not Devin Haney deserves the ‘runner’ label remains up for debate. What’s clear, however, is that the criticism largely stems from his performance against Jose Ramirez—a sharp contrast to the praise he had previously received for his earlier outings. Many believe Haney’s cautious approach may have been a result of the punishment he endured in his bout with Ryan Garcia. Ultimately, it’s his next fight that will determine whether Haney has truly shifted toward an overly defensive style or simply had an off night.

In the meantime, though, Bill Haney has claimed someone else is running from his son.

Bill Haney accuses a world champion of running from his son, Devin Haney

Bill Haney has called out WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez, accusing him of ducking a high-stakes showdown with his son. After both fighters secured victories on the same Times Square card—Lopez outpointing Arnold Barboza and Devin defeating Jose Ramirez—fans expected momentum to build toward their long-anticipated clash. With Ryan Garcia’s loss to Rolando Romero derailing a potential rematch with Devin, the path seemed clear for Lopez vs. Haney.

However, with Lopez eyeing a move up to 147 lbs to potentially face welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, Haney Sr. isn’t buying it. “He’s acting like he’s looking for Boots. Man, knock it off,” Bill Haney told Tha Boxing Voice. “You know why you looking for Boots? Because you running from Devin Haney. The biggest name for Teofimo Lopez is Devin Haney.” It appears Bill Haney’s suspicion was real, as reports emerged that Haney and Lopez had signed a deal, but Lopez backed out of the fight, citing personal reasons. 

That being said, it appears that even though Devin Haney might not deserve the ‘runner’ tag because of just one fight, boxers like Teofimo Lopez don’t want to fight. On the other hand, IBF super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins is ready for the action. Perhaps, the Haneys can prove that Haney’s not a ‘runner’ and take on bigger fights. Do you think Haney is a runner?