KEYSHAWN DAVIS WITHDRAWS FROM HANEY WELTERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT

Keyshawn Davis has withdrawn from a mandated World Boxing Organisation welterweight title contest against champion Devin Haney scheduled for Friday. Davis, named as the WBO's mandatory challenger at 147lbs, rejected the purse split determined at a sanctioning body auction on Thursday. The WBO confirmed on 31 July that Davis declined to accept the 25 per cent purse split awarded to him following official purse bid proceedings. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri stated that the organisation's Championship Committee and Ratings Committee would convene to determine next steps in accordance with WBO regulations.

Top Rank, Davis's promoter, secured promotional rights to the bout with a bid of $8,550,000, exceeding Takeover Promotions' offer of $2,350,000. Under the standard 75/25 split between champion and challenger, Davis would have received approximately $2,137,500 from the total purse. One report stated that Top Rank had initially offered Davis $3 million, which he rejected before the matter proceeded to purse bid. Reports attributed to boxing journalists noted that Davis had never previously fought at welterweight and had not won a title at 140lbs, his previous weight class.

Haney, 27, last fought in November when he defeated Brian Norman Jr to claim the WBO welterweight title. The withdrawal leaves the champion without an immediate opponent for his first title defence at the weight. The WBO stated it would publish its ruling on how to proceed following the committees' deliberations.