Devin Haney is calling for major rule changes ahead of his November 22 clash with WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. The 26-year-old’s stance follows a series of controversies, including his troubled bout with Ryan Garcia last year, as well as the recent Francisco Rodriguez Jr. and Imam Khataev fiascos.
Haney squared off against Garcia last year in April, losing a brutal 12 rounds via majority decision. However, the Victorville native tested positive for ostarine, which reversed the win to a no-contest, launching a doping controversy. Fast forward to yesterday, light heavyweight Imam Khataev has tested positive for Clomifene, as revealed by the International Testing Agency (ITA). The result?
His July 12th fight at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Queens, against Cuba’s David Morrell is now in jeopardy. Thanks to popping for the banned substance, Khataev is ineligible to fight from June 25 until June 25, 2027. A somewhat similar event unfolded the same day, but unlike Morrell, Galal Yafai wasn’t that lucky. After winning a record-breaking match against the then-undefeated Interim champion Galal Yafai on 21 June at bp pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham, Francisco Rodriguez Jr., the WBC Interim Flyweight champion, has returned an adverse analytical finding for samples collected after his win over Yafai, according to VADA.
Matchroom Boxing, the promoter of the Olympic gold medalist, confirmed that Francisco Rodriguez Jr. is now under investigation. Amid the multiplying controversies, Devin Haney has emerged as a steady voice of reason, calling for accountability and reform within the sport. “Boxers should [be] obligated to do 365 testing..,” he wrote on X. “It’s not fair that we are getting test results back after the fight when the damage is already done..”
Boxers should b obligated to do 365 testing.. it’s not fair that we are getting test results back after the fight when the damage is already done.. @galal_yafai sending you my best wishes bro!
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) July 9, 2025
Having gone through the trouble himself, Haney attached a message for Galal Yafai. “[Galal Yafai] sending you my best wishes bro!” That being said, what’s next for Rodriguez Jr.? Will he have to sit out the Morrell bout?
Imam Khataev vs. David Morell fight’s fate is in the NYSAC’s hands
Khataev and Morrell were scheduled to fight on the undercard of Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz, which also features the Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda fight in the co-main event. However, with Khataev’s positive drug test, he might have to be replaced, or the fight might even get canceled altogether.
“As of now, it’s still going, but I don’t know how it’s all going to play out,” a source connected to the fight—who was not authorized to speak publicly—told Boxing Scene, as the New York State Athletic Commission prepares to make its ruling. Meanwhile, Khataev’s team claims the amount found in his system was minute and continues to deny intentional ingestion.
While Khataev awaits his fate, Devin Haney’s plea for the rule change is likely to fall on deaf ears. For years, doping incidents have plagued the sport, but besides a suspension here and a penalty there, everything has mostly remained the same. What do you think would be a solution for this?
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