The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the welterweight title fight between champion Devin Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis (15-0, 10 KOs), the sanctioning body announced Monday.
The purse bid will be conducted on Monday, July 27, 2026, at WBO headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and will be live streamed across the organization’s official social media platforms. The minimum bid is set at US $200,000, with the purse distribution established at 75 percent to Haney and 25 percent to Davis, in accordance with WBO regulations.
Per the announcement, the WBO ordered the proceedings “pursuant to the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.” The official WBO Purse Bid Notice, containing the applicable terms, conditions, and regulatory requirements, will be published through the WBO’s official website and social media platforms.
The order arrives at the close of the 20-day negotiation window the WBO opened on June 30, when the Championship Committee formally directed both camps to begin talks for Haney’s first mandatory defense. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri announced that order on X, stating that the parties were “granted twenty (20) days to reach an agreement” before purse bid proceedings could be requested. According to BoxingScene, the negotiation order was addressed to Bill Haney, manager of the champion, and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes Davis. That deadline expired Monday without a deal, sending the fight to the bid table.
At a purse bid, any promoter registered with the WBO in good standing may bid for the right to stage the fight. The winning bidder controls the promotion, with the proceeds divided per the established split. For Haney, a promotional free agent, that means 75 percent of the winning bid; for Davis, 25 percent.
Haney captured the WBO welterweight title in November, defeating Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to become a three-division champion. He has not fought since. In the months that followed, Team Haney pursued other options, including a proposed 144-pound catchweight fight with WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson and a unification with Rolly Romero, but neither bout materialized before the WBO enforced the mandatory.
Davis, the 2020 Olympic silver medalist from Norfolk, Virginia, was installed as the WBO’s No. 1 contender at 147 pounds despite having yet to fight in the division. The former WBO lightweight champion stopped Denys Berinchyk in four rounds in February 2025 to win that title, then lost it on the scales before a scheduled defense against Edwin De Los Santos. He went 2-0 at junior welterweight, stopping Jamaine Ortiz in January before sweeping the scorecards against Nahir Albright in their May rematch at Scope Arena, after which he announced his move to welterweight.
Bill Haney had previously acknowledged the sanctioning body’s position while the Stevenson talks were ongoing. “I respect the WBO. I respect the rules,” he said during an appearance on the Cigar Talk podcast, adding that Davis would be next if the Stevenson fight could not be made.
The two sides retain the ability to reach a private agreement before the July 27 proceedings, which would render the purse bid unnecessary. Absent a deal, the winning bid on Monday in San Juan will determine who promotes the first defense of Haney’s welterweight title.
