Former undisputed lightweight boxing champion Devin Haney and his father are awaiting an April 6 court date after they were arrested and charged with assault in New York earlier this year for their alleged roles in a public brawl at Madison Square Garden.
According to court records, Haney, 27, and his father, Bill, 55, were arrested Feb. 1 and each charged with misdemeanor assault. The charges stemmed from an incident Jan. 30 in which Haney and multiple members of his family were in an altercation involving welterweight boxer Delante “Tiger” Johnson.
The brawl was caught on camera from multiple vantage points, including a live broadcast on DAZN, in which Haney was making a media appearance ahead of an event featuring Teofimo Lopez Jr. and Shakur Stevenson. Haney and Johnson had a long-running feud online before the physical altercation in January.
A spokesperson for the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information told ESPN on Friday that the incident occurred at about 4 p.m. ET, when “two known individuals” punched a 27-year-old male victim numerous times before fleeing. The victim suffered bruising and “pain to the face and body” and was hospitalized in stable condition.
Johnson’s manager confirmed with ESPN on Friday that Johnson was the person assaulted.
Haney made light of the incident on his social media that evening, stating in a post, “NY is cold … I gotta go turn myself into jail in a few hours #Freemeeee.”
Haney and his father, who also trains him, were arraigned in New York Criminal Court on Feb. 18, and both entered not guilty pleas.
