Matchroom’s Refusal to Bid Leads Devin Haney to Lose Millions In Sandor Martin Fight Purse

Is it broken ties, lost confidence, or a shrewd business move? Whatever the reason, Devin Haney is angry with Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing. The American boxer might have to take on an enormous loss, and that too, in millions, because of Matchroom Boxing’s reluctance to put in a bid to stage his WBC mandatory defense against Sandor Martin. It came as a no-shocker to fans when he called out the promotion for its “nasty” deed.

After suffering a soul-crushing defeat against Ryan Garcia, all eyes are on Haney, 25, to see how he rebounds from that loss. It so happened that Martin, 30, struck gold with his timing and asked for his shot at glory after the conclusion of their flashy showdown. However, as the fight entered the purse bid after failed negotiations, Top Rank emerged as the sole bidder. The number that they put in was $2.42 million.

Let’s crunch some numbers. When ‘The Dream’ moved up a division to 140 after securing the undisputed dream at lightweight, he bagged $6 million as a challenger to Regis Prograis. Top Rank’s bidding purse is not even half of it! What’s more? Haney took home close to $30 million when he faced his ‘KingRy’. Top Rank’s purse falls even short of 10% of that hefty purse. And that’s not it.

The WBC champion would only take home a little over $1.5 million if he decided to defend his WBC crown against ‘Arrasandor’. It’s a frustrating situation for him. Can you blame Matchroom Boxing for not banking their faith in their highly favored champion? If not fans, Haney was candid about it. He turned to his X handle and reacted to Matchroom Boxing’s shyness not to put in a bid for him. “Wow Matchroom … nasty work,” he wrote. He also added in another post, “I should’ve bid myself.”

The 31-1 record holder finds himself in a fix because of Matchroom Boxing’s decision to not bid, which allowed Top Rank to emerge as a sole bidder. But is it an indication of straining relations between the two or a smart call by the British promotion company?

Is Devin Haney falling out of Eddie Hearn’s’ favor?

The question is whether Haney wants to fight Martin. It doesn’t seem so. The San Francisco native might willingly vacate the title and move up. At least that’s how Hearn saw the situation last. When asked about Haney’s next fight with Martin, the British promoter told Sean Zittel, “The WBC belt is going to become vacant and Sandor Martin v. someone will take place.”

“One-hundred percent, he’s not going to fight Sandor Martin. Who’s going to pay for that?” Hearn continued. It seems Matchroom Boxing already has it all figured out, and they didn’t waste any effort or money on a fight that they are sure would not materialize. But will Haney accept the fight? That decision rests with him.

What do you make of the Matchroom’s decision to not bid for Devin Haney vs. Sandor Martin? Do you think that it was a tactical move or the result of a fallout? Let us know in the comments below.