A 21-year-old American boxer likened to Floyd Mayweather said he'd 'never let a white boy' beat him

• Devin Haney, a 21-year-old world boxing champion, said this week he'd "never let a white boy" beat him.
• Haney competes in a wildly-competitive 135-pound weight class, a division in which Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, and Vasyl Lomachenko also campaign in.
• On a possible showdown with Lomachenko, Haney said: "Fight a white boy 10 times, I'm gonna beat him 10 times."
• The comments are similar in tone to Bernard Hopkins' notorious statement to Joe Calzaghe ahead of their 2008 bout, which Calzaghe, who is white, comfortably won.
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A 21-year-old American boxer likened to Floyd Mayweather said he'd "never let a white boy" beat him.

WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney made the comments during a 78SportsTV live stream on YouTube which involved a fan-led Q&A.

Haney competes in the wildly-competitive 135-pound weight class, a division in which undefeated fighters Gervonta "Tank" Davis, Ryan Garcia, and Teofimo Lopez all campaign in.

Vasyl Lomachenko, one of the greatest amateur boxers of all time and a technically-adept pro, is regarded as the best lightweight fighter in the world today, according to Boxrec, The Ring magazine, and Boxing News.

Commenting on a potential Lomachenko fight, Haney said: "I'll tell you this, I'll never lose to a white boy in my life. I don't care what nobody got to say. Ain't no white boy who can beat me any day of the week.

"Fight a white boy 10 times, I'm gonna beat him 10 times," Haney said.

Haney's comments are similar in tone to a statement Bernard Hopkins made in 2007 ahead of an eventual fight with the British light heavyweight Joe Calzaghe.

In 2007, Hopkins told Calzaghe: "You're not even in my league."

The long-reigning former middleweight champion added: "I would never let a white boy beat me. I would never lose to a white boy. I couldn't go back to the projects if I let a white boy beat me."

Calzaghe, who is white, comfortably beat Hopkins in 2008, landing more punches on the American than any opponent had at that point.

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