Haney vs Paro Welterweight Unification Reportedly Set for Year's End

Devin Haney has a dance partner at last. Reports say the WBO welterweight champion (33-0, 15 KO) and IBF titleholder Liam Paro (28-1, 16 KO) have agreed to a unification bout on U.S. soil before the end of 2026, closing out one of the messiest title searches in recent memory.

Haney hasn't thrown a punch in anger since outpointing Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision last November to grab the WBO strap. That's nearly a full year on the shelf, and the layoff wasn't entirely his doing. He agreed to a mandatory against Keyshawn Davis, but Davis (15-0, 10 KO) walked away from a career-high $2.14 million purse to chase Richardson Hitchins instead.

A Layoff Nobody Comes Out of Clean

After the Davis fiasco came a drawn-out negotiation with Shakur Stevenson that collapsed into social media sniping over half-pound weight increments. Later revelations tied to Stevenson's exit from Zuffa Boxing suggest his financial demands sank the deal, but Haney didn't exactly emerge spotless either. At least the fight he's landed on is a live one rather than a soft touch.

Paro has earned the shot the hard way. The Australian traveled into hostile territory to upset the previously untouchable Subriel Matias for the IBF super lightweight title in 2024, then dropped a narrow decision to Hitchins in his first defense. Rather than stall, he moved up to 147 and got to work.

Why Paro Is the Right Fight

Since arriving at welterweight, Paro handed David Papot his first career loss and ground out a win over reigning champ Lewis Crocker to collect the IBF belt. In an era where elite fighters routinely dodge awkward styles and haggle themselves out of major bouts, his willingness to make concessions and take tricky assignments stands out. That's exactly the kind of opponent who makes Haney work.

On paper the KO numbers hint at a technical chess match more than a shootout — Haney's 15 stoppages in 33 wins and Paro's 16 in 29 fights suggest two boxers who'd rather outthink than outbrawl. If the deal firms up as reported, it's a genuine two-belt unification between unbeaten-adjacent talent, and a long-overdue return to relevance for a Haney camp that's spent most of the year arguing instead of fighting.