WBO confirms Keyshawn Davis withdraws from Haney title fight

The immediate future of WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney has been thrown into uncertainty after mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis formally withdrew from their ordered title fight. The World Boxing Organization confirmed on Friday, July 31, 2026, that it had received written notice from Davis's attorney stating he would not accept the 25 percent purse split adjudicated through official proceedings and would not participate in the championship contest.

The development followed a purse bid held on Thursday, July 30, where Top Rank secured promotional rights with a winning bid of $8.55 million. Under the WBO's standard 75-25 split favoring the defending champion, Haney was in line to receive approximately $6.41 million, while Davis would have earned about $2.14 million. The WBO did not provide a reason for Davis's decision to decline what would have been the largest payday of his career.

With Davis's withdrawal, the matter has been referred to the WBO Championship Committee and Ratings Committee, which will convene to determine the appropriate next steps under the organization's rules and regulations. The committees could order Haney to face a new mandatory challenger or...