I wasn't going to comment on the whole Devin Haney "I'll never lose to a white boy" issue since, clearly, the boxing community is mega-selective in its outrage regarding race. I mean, Sergey Kovalev has been nipple-deep in racist behavior for years and nobody's done anything to sanction him. There are also a handful of media voices at the highest levels of the business who sport thinly-veiled racist agendas, like ESPN's Steve Kim, who proudly and derisively refers to African American fight fans as "The Demographic."
I'm fine with the sport being a free-for-all gutter brawl where everything goes. Just keep it in the gutter and stop with the ala carte indignation. However, apparently, when it comes to a black man saying shitty things, many in the boxing world demand social justicing.
Anyway, for those who don't already know, the WBC lightweight world champ said this when asked about the challenge of Vasiliy Lomachenko on a YouTube channel:
"I can tell you this -- I will never lose to a white boy in my life. I don't care what nobody got to say. Listen, can't no white boy beat me, I don't care, on any day of the week. I fight a white boy like 10 times, I'm gonna beat him 10 times."
Okay. My take? Haney's 21 years old, trying hard to sound hard, but this is a fucking stupid thing to say, regardless, and if it's not full-blown racist, it's something that will definitely strike people as downright disrespectful and insulting.
As Haney started to feel the blowback from his statements, he issued a confusing social media response that did nobody any good.
"I'm not racist and I never will be a racist. I'm chasing greatness," Haney wrote.
Hmmm. Huh?
RingTV's Joseph Santoliquito posted a piece on Monday, assuring the boxing world that Haney was not a racist and vouching for the kid's pure, pure soul.
"Anyone who sincerely knows Haney, anyone who’s ever been around Haney, knows the WBC’s lightweight champion in recess is not a racist or prejudice...[he's a] 21-year-old star who is highly intelligent and whose siblings are biracial...Dullards are racist. Stupid people prejudge based on racial stereotypes...That’s not Devin Haney."
For what it's worth, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman even jumped into the fray, defending his champion's not-racist status and making the asinine assertion that "You can’t be racist in the sport of boxing—or you will fail."
In the Santoliquito/RingTV piece, Haney's father, Bill Haney was also asked to comment on the remarks.
"I know my son and he’s definitely not a racist,” the elder Haney said. “I watch my son, I see the way he interacts. He talks and thinks highly of everyone. In boxing, we all want to work together. When you’re talking shit, those things, I call barbershop talk, gym talk, those things come out. Devin’s partner is white. Eddie Hearn is our promoter. Devin’s brothers and sisters are half white.".
Apparently, all the defenders agree, social media took Devin's words and twisted them.
Well, with all due respect, that's bullshit. Haney said what he said and is being judged accordingly-- whether what he said represents his true feelings or not.
That's why your words matter.
Most people are not going to know you personally or be familiar with what's in your heart and soul. And it's pointless for Santoliquito, Sulaiman, or Bill Haney to tell you that what Devin said does not reflect what's in his heart and soul because, well, most people also don't know what's in the heart and soul of Santoliquito, Sulaiman, or Bill Haney.
Like I said, for me, this is just a case of a 21-year-old kid saying something stupid to come off as hard. I get that. I also get how people can see what he said as a race-based slap in the face.
Haney will just have to work through whatever nastiness comes his way because of his words and move on. The boxing world has a short memory when it comes to scandal.