Devin Haney and Father Bill Haney Face Assault Charges After MSG Brawl With Delante Johnson

Devin Haney can’t seem to stay out of the headlines — and lately, it hasn’t been for his work in the ring. The former undisputed lightweight champion and his father, trainer Bill Haney, are scheduled to appear in court on April 6 after being arrested on misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a January altercation with welterweight boxer Delante “Tiger” Johnson at Madison Square Garden.

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, court records show that Devin Haney, 27, and Bill Haney, 55, were arrested on February 1 — two days after the incident — and each charged with misdemeanor assault. Both entered not guilty pleas at their February 18 arraignment in New York Criminal Court.

The incident itself took place on January 30 at Madison Square Garden, where Haney was making a media appearance ahead of an event featuring Teofimo Lopez Jr. and Shakur Stevenson. At approximately 4 p.m. ET, a brawl broke out between Haney, multiple members of his family, and Johnson. The entire altercation was caught on camera from multiple angles, including a live broadcast on DAZN — meaning the footage is everywhere.

According to a statement from the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, a 27-year-old male victim — confirmed by Johnson’s manager to be Delante Johnson — was punched numerous times by “two known individuals” before they fled the scene. Johnson suffered bruising and “pain to the face and body” and was hospitalized in stable condition.

Haney appeared to acknowledge the situation that evening on social media, posting: “NY is cold … I gotta go turn myself into jail in a few hours #Freemeeee.”

The confrontation was the culmination of a long-running online feud between Haney and Johnson. The two had been going back and forth on social media for months before things turned physical at MSG. The specifics of what started the beef remain somewhat murky, but the boxing world had been watching the tension build in real time.

For Haney, the timing couldn’t be worse. He’s been working to rebuild his career and reputation after the Ryan Garcia fight controversy, where Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine after handing Haney his first professional loss. That result was eventually overturned to a no-contest, but the saga dragged on for months and consumed most of 2024’s boxing discourse. Haney was most recently reported to be angling for a welterweight rematch with Garcia, even demanding VADA testing as a condition for the fight.

Now, instead of being in the headlines for a major fight announcement, Haney is facing a court date. Misdemeanor assault charges in New York can carry up to a year in jail, though first-time offenders rarely see that kind of sentence. The bigger concern for Haney might be the reputational damage and any potential impact on his boxing license. State athletic commissions have broad discretion when it comes to licensing fighters, and an assault conviction — even a misdemeanor — could create complications.

Bill Haney’s involvement adds another layer. The elder Haney has been a controversial figure in boxing for years, known for his outspoken personality and willingness to insert himself into any confrontation. His presence in the MSG altercation, alongside other family members, paints a picture of a situation that escalated well beyond a standard trash-talk encounter.

Delante “Tiger” Johnson is a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist who turned pro and has been building a solid career at welterweight. He’s not a nobody — he’s a legitimate fighter with real credentials, which makes the optics of this situation even worse for the Haneys. This wasn’t a random street altercation; it was a professional boxer being jumped at a boxing event, on camera, by another professional boxer and his father.

The April 6 court date will be the next chapter in this story. Both Haneys have pleaded not guilty, and the legal process will play out over the coming months. But the damage to Devin Haney’s public image is already done. For a fighter who’s spent years trying to get the respect he believes he deserves in the ring, this is the kind of distraction that can derail a career at a critical moment.

The case also raises broader questions about security at major boxing events. The altercation happened at one of the most iconic venues in sports, during a high-profile fight week, in broad daylight. If a brawl involving multiple people can break out in front of DAZN cameras at Madison Square Garden, it raises concerns about how promoters and venues are managing fighter interactions during media obligations and event build-ups.

Boxing fans have seen this movie before — talented fighters making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The sport has a long history of out-of-ring incidents overshadowing in-ring talent, from press conference melees to street confrontations that end careers before they peak. Haney has the skill to be one of the best of his generation — a slick, technically gifted boxer who held all four lightweight belts simultaneously. Whether he can stay out of his own way long enough to prove it in a second weight class remains an open question.

The April 6 court date will tell us more about where this case is heading legally. But in the court of public opinion, Haney has already taken a hit.