Former world champion Caleb Plant has weighed in on the criticism directed at Devin Haney following his fight with Jose Ramirez, expressing his belief that Haney`s performance, although potentially perceived as “lackluster,” should not be a cause for negativity.
Plant described his reaction during the early rounds: “When I watched Devin fight in the first round, I initially thought, `Okay, maybe he’s just trying to figure things out. Perhaps there are some lingering nerves from the Ryan Garcia fight, and he’ll settle into a rhythm.` However, you simply cannot maintain that level of defensive or cautious energy for a full 12 rounds unless that was the specific strategy planned for the entire duration. This tells you exactly what their game plan was for the fight – that`s precisely what was asked of Haney.”
He further elaborated on the discipline required and the dynamics of the bout: “Executing that kind of strategy for 36 minutes demands a significant amount of discipline and intense concentration. Jose Ramirez is by no means a passive opponent or a mere punching bag, and it was never Devin`s responsibility to unilaterally make the fight more competitive or exciting. Devin`s primary objective is straightforward: to secure the victory as easily and effectively as possible. The onus to make the fight more competitive was actually on Jose Ramirez. His job was to take risks and try to impose himself. Yet, he clearly struggled to land his punches effectively and frequently appeared stuck on his feet. Did he succeed in making the fight more interesting from his side? Based on the outcome, no,” Plant concluded.
For context, Devin Haney defeated Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision on May 2nd.
Gareth Tenby