Getting into the ring with Floyd Mayweather is a daunting task
At the age of just 16, Devin Haney became a professional boxer, turning down an opportunity to represent the United States at the 2016 Olympics in the process.
Due to age restrictions in the US, Haney was unable to compete professionally at that age, so instead fought his first four fights in Mexico before becoming eligible.
Now 20 years old, Haney has competed in 23 professional fights, winning each of them and 18 by knockout.
He recently sat down with Chris Lloyd and Carl Frampton for the latest episode of TKO to discuss his nascent career which has seen him accumulate more wins than years he’s lived.
He also talked about sparring with none other than Floyd Mayweather Junior.
“I sparred Floyd once and we did six rounds. Six five-minute rounds,” he said. “It was great – a wonderful experience. I’m thankful for him to five me that experience especially towards the end of his career when he didn’t have to.
“It’s a story I can tell for the rest of my life. Me being able to spar Mayweather, is like someone playing basketball and being able to say they got to play Michael Jordan one-on-one.
“That was a dream come true.”
Haney was 18 years old at the time of their sparring, and Frampton was quick to ask whether Mayweather “took liberties” in the ring, or whether he went easy on him. You won’t be surprised to hear that he did not hold back.
“Oh yeah, he was going his everything on me,” added Haney. “It was good, competitive sparring.”
