Reno later pressed him for a direct explanation of the inactivity.
“What has stopped the Paro fight? What has stopped the Catterall fight from going over the line? Is it money?” Reno asked during the Mr. Verzace podcast. Bill did not provide a reason, returning instead to a running joke involving a bottle of Hunt’s ketchup.
That exchange was the most revealing part of the lengthy interview.
Catterall said Devin’s side went quiet after his team accepted the proposed October 3 date and Atlanta location. Paro said his representatives expressed interest in a welterweight unification but never received an offer or reached the point of discussing money.
Neither man has a financial reason to avoid Devin. A bout with Haney would likely give either one the largest purse of his career. Both have publicly confirmed their interest, yet Bill presented Devin as the fighter struggling to find a willing participant.
The lack of follow-through suggests the Haneys have little interest in taking another difficult fight while waiting for Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn to settle their September 12 contest. The winner offers far more money than either Paro or Catterall, while remaining inactive protects Devin from losing his place in that discussion.
Bill relies heavily on Keyshawn Davis to support his claim. Davis reportedly wanted $5 million and declined the roughly $2.1 million produced by the WBO purse bid. That may have been an inflated valuation, but rejecting the money is not proof that he feared Devin. As a former WBO lightweight champion, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, and a fighter who had already competed twice at light welterweight, Keyshawn had grounds to view the Haney fight as a major event worth more than $2.1 million.
One financial disagreement does not establish that the welterweight division is avoiding Devin. The experiences of Paro and Catterall point in the opposite direction. Bill was asked why neither fight moved forward, and the man doing all the talking had no answer.
