Shakur Stevenson vs. Devin Haney - Who wins?

[PRINCEKOOL]

This is a great match up. 144 sounds good.

I have Shakur as a slight favourite but who knows how this will go?

If people think Shakur Stevenson is good enough 'then he must challenge, top level fighters at their optimal weight. `144 pounds sounds terrible. This potential fight does not need a catch weight to happen'.

He & Haney have agreed on 144.

Well if that is the case. This fight could be another Chad Dawson vs. Andre Ward situation 'Dawson after his win vs. Bernard Hopkins II at 175, decided to call out Ward back down at 168 pounds. This was clearly a bad idea'.

Note: Nobody around Chad Dawson in his team, seemed to advise him out of a silly move 'and he effectively lost that fight in my opinion, due to being weight drained and fighting at a sub-optimal weight'.

Devin Haney right now, really should be advised not to take the fight vs. Shakur Stevenson at 144 pounds 'there is no way he should be even mentioning such a potential fight'.

To conclude: Devin Haney is the bigger and more proven fighter 'it is up to Shakur Stevenson to challenge him, and move up into the 147 division'.

Bill Haney needs to step in and demand that fight to happen at 147 pounds 'or else. Any smart promoter or manager would be doing just that for Devin Haney' etc.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Keyshawn Davis confirmed as Devin Haney’s mandatory challenger

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed that Keyshawn Davis will be the mandatory challenger to welterweight titleholder Devin Haney.

Haney collected the WBO strap with a unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jnr in November 2025. Since then, Haney has flirted with fights against Shakur Stevenson and Rolly Romero, with neither coming to fruition. With no voluntary defense scheduled, the WBO confirmed to BS earlier this month that Haney would be ordered to face his mandatory next.

Following Keyshawn Davis’ move up from 140lbs, the WBO installed the former lightweight champion in the No.1 slot at welterweight. BS reported that Davis was expected to be ordered as Haney’s mandatory for an August date, and Olivieri has now confirmed that in an interview with Naji Chill.

“[The fight will be ordered] probably by the end of this month or early July,” said Olivieri, on Cigar Talk. “We have to issue that negotiation letter for the mandatory. It’s a matter of timing, but it’s a done deal that Keyshawn Davis is the mandatory for Devin Haney. Haney’s camp has been advised in writing by the championship committee, ‘Hey champion, you’ve got your mandatory coming up.’ Once the committee makes a decision they will issue a negotiation letter with a timeline.”

[Sendo Takeshi]

Makes absolutely no sense to order this fight, because he never fought at welterweight and didn't even have a title at Superlightweight..but I take it, because it's a good fight.
Still, doesn't make any sense though.

[Cent0089]

Makes absolutely no sense to order this fight, because he never fought at welterweight and didn't even have a title at Superlightweight..but I take it, because it's a good fight.
Still, doesn't make any sense though.

What? Come on man. Two guys who claims to be best P4P fighting ech other does not make a sense???

[Sendo Takeshi]

Makes absolutely no sense to order this fight, because he never fought at welterweight and didn't even have a title at Superlightweight..but I take it, because it's a good fight.
Still, doesn't make any sense though.

What? Come on man. Two guys who claims to be best P4P fighting ech other does not make a sense???

Like I said, it’s a good fight and I’ll take it.

My point is just that it doesn't make sense to ORDER it when Davis hasn't had a single fight at this weight class and doesn't even hold a title in the division below.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘Shakur hasn’t responded’: Bill Haney talks difficulty in matching Devin Haney against Shakur Stevenson

Bill Haney shares some updates on what’s going on with Devin’s next move.



During an interview with Ring Magazine, trainer Bill Haney talks about the upcoming plans for his son Devin Haney as his name has been attached to numerous potential fights as of late. Catching up on what they’re working on at the moment, Bill Haney shared some of these thoughts on Devin’s future.

Bill Haney on where things stand for a potential fight between his son and Shakur Stevenson
“Shakur hasn’t responded to the 144 lb agreement [he proposed], that Devin Haney said he would have with him…[Devin] put it on there for the people and we haven’t gotten an answer or a response.”

On where the priorities are for opponents
“On the list, Tank Davis, he sits at probably #1. I mean, we’ve been had back and forth…I consider this is real. Me and Al [Haymon] have had discussions, that has made it even more real. Never has anyone said anything about dehydration, rehydration or anything for that matter. So, what I think it should be is a fair fight and that weight is to be determined but it won’t be anything under 144 lbs for nobody in the world.”

On saying Stevenson would be easy work for Devin
“Listen, it’s harder to get him in the ring. It’s been a fight to get him in the ring. I think that’s going to be the hardest part, for Deebo to get him in the ring than to actually be in the ring…That garage that his grandfather taught him how to do it at was a small stage in comparison to the big stage and the big professors that I done learned this game from, starting with Floyd Mayweather Sr, Roger, Eddie Mustafa, and the like.”

On the WBO order to defend against Keyshawn Davis
“Well what a great opportunity to be for Devin to be forced to buy more Rolls Royces, houses, and all the other things that he’s getting forced to buy by fighting a mandatory in Keyshawn Davis…He’s on the list, he’s been on the list since before he became a mandatory because we think he’s a heck of a fighter and another opportunity for Devin to move closer to the Mount Rushmore of boxing.”

On their interest in a Boots fight
“When I saw him, I saw a fighter that can be beat by a style that Devin has. When we were taught this game, we were taught with the ability to adapt to everyone…Like, you seen the times that Boots had the most problems was when Xander was boxing him. Of course when you have a high boxing IQ and you’re a boxer, that’s what you’re going to continue to do until you’re forced not to…We believe Boots is who he is, but he would be one of the most difficult puzzles that we as a team, as a fighter, would have to figure out.”

On why a Ryan Garcia fight isn’t happening
“Ryan is, respectfully, on the list. He’s at #1o because there’s some things we would like him to do in terms of maturity or being pushed by his team. Outside of that, we got 10 tremendously fighters [on our list]…We put that on there, we gave it to Turki, we made it publicly as well as privately [known] that’s what we want.

“What I want to see is him go to the drug VADA program, give us a significant amount of time [to test] for us to have faith that he’s clean.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shakur Stevenson says Devin Haney fight is 'No. 1 Priority'

Shakur Stevenson is zeroed in on one fight for his Zuffa Boxing debut.

On the latest episode of "Inside The Ring," which was streamed Monday on DAZN, the four-division champion and current Ring and WBO 140-pound champ said a showdown with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney is the fight he wants next. He added that a bout with Gervonta “Tank” Davis is near the top of his list as well.

“I wasn't really thinking about Devin, but out of nowhere, him and [his father] Bill Haney started calling my name,” Stevenson said. "So since they started calling my name, I'm a guy who likes to answer phone calls. Devin right now is my No. 1 priority.”

Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) said he believes Haney will vacate his welterweight title, which will pave the way for them to fight. Haney, a three-division champion, The Ring’s No. 8-ranked fighter pound-for-pound and No. 1-ranked welterweight, was ordered by the WBO to defend his title against former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis next late in June.

Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC), of Henderson, Nevada, has also been rumored to be signing with Zuffa Boxing. The signing of Stevenson, 29, with the upstart promotional company was announced Thursday.

Stevenson and Haney have traded words on social media and agreed to a fight at a catch weight of 144 pounds on X in early June.

“I'm hearing that Devin was going to vacate the belt, and once he vacates the belt, we're gonna fight at 144 pounds,” Stevenson said. “I think it's gonna be an amazing fight. I think Devin is one of the best fighters in the sport, and for me to go beat Teofimo and then Devin right after, I think there's no question that you could call me the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport of boxing.”

Stevenson is coming off a dominant unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez to win The Ring and WBO 140-pound titles and become a four-division champion on January 31 in the main event of The Ring 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The slick southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, is also The Ring's No. 1-ranked lightweight.

Haney, 27, became a three-division titleholder and the WBO 147-pound champion in his last fight thanks to a one-sided unanimous decision over The Ring’s No. 2-ranked welterweight, Brian Norman Jr. (29-1, 23 KOs), on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Yoooo @BillHaney77 @Realdevinhaney Let’s go I’m here still saying the same thing I been saying call my bluff now Nick and Dana is waiting we will do business with DAZN too #144 LETS SCRAP!!! #HIM

[Ruthless-RKO]

'Gutted' Bill Haney on Keyshawn Davis' rejection, Shakur Stevenson back in play for Devin Haney?

On the brink of believing they had a welterweight title fight finalized with fellow unbeaten and former lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis, three-division champion Devin Haney and his father, trainer, and manager, Bill Haney, awoke disappointed Saturday.

The 15-0 (10 KOs) Davis on Friday rejected the $2.13 million he was due to earn as a result of the WBO purse-bid process conducted earlier this week. The Davis cut was 25 per cent of the $8 million-plus that promoter Top Rank presented in its winning bid for a bout the Haneys wanted to take to Atlanta in October.

In a Saturday morning conversation with Boxing Scene, Bill Haney expressed dismay at the bout falling apart, depriving Devin Haney, 33-0 (15 KOs), of at least his guaranteed $6.412 million purse while extending an absence that dates to his November 22 unanimous-decision victory over former WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jnr.

“Well, the usually verbose Bill Haney is gutted today, got it in the worst way,” Haney told Boxing Scene. “Because everything about me and what we've done has been strategic, systematic, calculated, and all for the people and the culture.

“And this was the time of all times, to go to Atlanta, to the State Farm Arena, and have two tremendously talented fighters compete for the WBO welterweight championship of the world… I’m extremely gutted.”

Despite four-division champion and Davis’ close friend Shakur Stevenson quickly reacting to Davis’ withdrawal by taking to “X” to revisit the effort to stage a Haney-Stevenson clash at 144lbs, Bill Haney admitted he’s uncertain what his son’s next career step will be with Norman Jnr next in the WBO line.

He said there was no reason to bemoan the disparity in the Haney-Davis pay, speaking from a position of financial comfort after signing a multi-fight agreement with DAZN.

“Normally, I have extreme optimism about the game. From what you've seen Devin do… I can't help but be thankful and grateful that we're in a position, that we're on the side of the street to make all of the fights happen in boxing,” Bill Haney said. “But the fighters have to want to do it. There's places in our agreement that there's a carve-out for each and every big fight that Devin could be in. And I would be derelict in my responsibility to not only him and the community to organize, arrange, or participate in anything different.”

Returning to talks with Stevenson would put the Haneys on the opposing side of a bargaining table with the same management team representing Davis, James Prince and Josh Dubin.

“We were negotiating with that team for a fight [with Stevenson] that would determine who's No. 1 pound-for-pound on everyone's list,” Bill Haney said. “Make no mistake about it, Devin is pound-for-pound No. 1 on my list now and and on a lot of people's – our team and a lot of other journalists. But the one list that is considered pound-for-pound [gospel], that has Devin and Shakur on it… we could have that fight to justify who is the best, undeniably.”

Bill Haney said prior discussions with Zuffa Boxing for a Stevenson bout encountered a sticking point with Stevenson’s request to fight Haney at a catchweight of 144lbs.

However, an official familiar with the Haney-Zuffa talks told Boxing Scene that Devin Haney signed an agreement with Zuffa to stage a fight against Stevenson at 144lbs by October 31.

Bill Haney said that is not true.

“I’m the one who said 'no' to the catchweight. [Stevenson and his team] said drop the [WBO welterweight] belt, and I said, ‘No. We’ll drop our nuts and defend the belt,’” Bill Haney said.

“We were telling Shakur, ‘Come up and try to win a fifth division title, and we’ll fight to be pound-for-pound king.’ It’d be a mega-fight, a super-fight for the ages. I thought for sure that the Shakur Stevenson fight would take.

“Him wanting us not to be a champion in one of the hottest divisions, with [WBA champion] Rolly [Romero] ready to defend his belt [August 22] against Teofimo [Lopez] and [WBC champion] Ryan [Garcia] defending his against Conor [Benn on September 12] … why would we just drop our belt?

“Tell Shakur and everyone, we want a fight for the people.”

When those original Stevenson talks broke down, Bill Haney said Prince and Dubin, “the exact team that works for Davis, went and did an extremely hard feat and got Keyshawn accelerated up the list with help from the WBO, to be in position to fight Devin at 147lbs for the title.

“Shout out to the WBO for standing on business.”

That type of unpredictable movement in the rankings, Bill Haney said, makes him uncertain what his son’s next move will be.

Does he feel tricked by the developments? Did he make any moves he regrets?

“At this level where boxing supremacy lives, I don't believe in antics,” Bill Haney said. “I believe in you either step up or you get exposed.

“You know, I'm gutted right now. To tell you what's next would be me not telling the truth.”

Yet, the mutual desire for a Stevenson-Haney showdown makes it logical that the parties will reconvene to attempt to strike that deal.

“Shakur Stevenson is the WBO 140 champion. And, for sure, him and his team, Josh Dubin, and Jay Prince, they know how to go to the WBO and become the mandatory for Devin's belt,” Bill Haney said.

“So, you know, tell them to redirect their GPS the same way they did it [for Davis]. You know what I mean? If they’re the bad, mother-fornicating team that everybody says they are, then go do it again. You know what I mean?

“They do that, and they’ll get all the action in the world. If they don't do that, then, of course, we know that they're [just] full of antics.”

If that bout can’t be made, Bill Haney said his son will go to whatever fight “the people are screaming for.

“If the people put the mark on someone’s back, then you know ‘Debo’ [Devin Haney] is going to go get it,” Bill Haney said.

“Hey, the welterweight division is on fire, and the king of the welterweight division is ‘Debo,’ Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney. Mic drop.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson in 'advanced discussions' for showdown

An unexpected and astounding clash of unbeaten, multiple-division champions has emerged through separate negotiations, as a connected official tells Boxing Scene Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney are in “advanced discussions” for a welterweight title showdown.

The pair, both listed in the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, have jostled over weight requirements on social media, but there is sentiment that the deal will get done.

Four-division champion Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), turned to current WBO welterweight champion Haney, 33-0 (15 KOs), following the failed effort to stage a Stevenson-Manny Pacquiao fight on the December 11 Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury heavyweight main event in Cardiff, Wales.

With an official explaining that “two eight-figure fighters” were too much to fund for a co-main event of an already expensive Netflix card, 29-year-old Stevenson has turned back to Haney.

Three-division champion Haney has been linked to IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro before this opportunity presented itself.

Boxing Scene was told recently that Haney, 27, was eyeing a November 28 bout in Atlanta, but it’s unclear if that’s where this meeting will land if finalized.

Promoted by Zuffa Boxing, Stevenson was also in talks with WBA 140lbs champion Gary Antuanne Russell, whose brother-trainer, Gary Russell Jnr, said generated a low-ball offer of less than $2 million.

Stevenson-Haney would mark the Newark, New Jersey, fighter’s debut bout for Zuffa.

Stevenson has made several posts on “X” within the past 24 hours. One read: “Let’s scrap the online negotiations. Let’s drop our nuts in front of the world and make the biggest and best fight in boxing.”

Haney has requested Stevenson, after debuting at 140lbs January 31 by winning the WBO title easily over Teofimo Lopez, fight him at 147lbs with no rehydration clause.

Stevenson has countered that the bout should be staged with a weigh-in limit of 144lbs for former lightweight and 140lbs champion Haney.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[joshj909]

Excellent fight if it can be made. Haney will likely look a lot bigger but Shakur is the more skilled man. Haney won't be a walkover but Shakur has the ability to beat all of the small Americans in Haney, Tank, Garcia, Keyshawn, and maybe even Boots and Ortiz if they're willing to drop a bit of weight.

[Cent0089]

Still dont think this fight will hapen. Hopefully i am wrong. I think Stevenson will beat Haney in similar fashion like Crawford beat Spence if they actualy show in the ring

[Ruthless-RKO]

HANEY VS STEVENSON TARGETED FOR NOVEMBER 28 IN ATLANTA

The long-awaited fight between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson isn’t done just yet, but a date and location have emerged as strong possibilities.

“There has been a challenge to their team to take the fight at 145 and take it on the 28th of November in Atlanta,” Bill Haney, father and trainer of Devin, said on Tru Media Podcast’s YouTube channel. “The offer is on the table for him to fight in November.”

Initially, a fight between them seemed improbable because of the weight. Stevenson, who holds The Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles after his January 31 win over Teofimo Lopez in New York’s Madison Square Garden, has no interest in fighting at 147 pounds. However, Devin, The Ring’s No. 1 welterweight and WBO champion, refused to meet his fellow champion at a catchweight.

Nevertheless, talks between both sides have heated up over the last few days. Devin revealed on his X account that, in addition to wanting to fight at 144 pounds, Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) also wanted a 10-pound next-day rehydration clause.

Instead, Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) proposed a 145-pound catchweight with no rehydration clause. Stevenson, soon after, agreed.

Behind the scenes, they’ll keep working things out.

Stevenson, a slick southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, has been linked to several fighters in recent months.

The Ring’s No. 3-ranked pound-for-pounder called out WBA 140-pound belt holder Gary Antuanne Russell. He also mentioned Ryan Garcia, the WBC welterweight champion, as someone he would like to share the ring with.

As for Devin, 2026 has been quiet for The Ring’s No. 8-ranked pound-for-pound fighter. The 27-year-old from San Francisco, California, hasn’t fought since dethroning Brian Norman by unanimous decision to win his WBO welterweight title in November 2025 at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Bill, of course, hopes to get his son back in the ring against one of the best fighters around. Although it’s a difficult bout, Bill believes both fighters have so much to gain that the risk is worth it.
“It’ll be an opportunity for him to become a five-division champion,” Bill said. “For us, it’s a play at being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘Big waste of everybody’s time’: Devin Haney vs Shakur Stevenson negotiations seemingly fall apart

Shakur Stevenson may need to look for a new dance partner with Devin Haney talks collapsing.

The ‘Business of Boxing’ appears to be pulling the rug on yet another proposed fight, as a long negotiated meeting between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson appears to be going to the wayside. Our staff recently weighed-in with our thoughts on the matchup even despite it not being formally announced — that’s how close it seemed — but easy come, easy go.

The poor state of the negotiations were revealed online when Shakur posted a message on X.

“At the 11th hour, after agreeing to 144 and then 145, DeeHoe had his lawyer email and say that he would only fight at 147,” Shakur wrote. “Big waste of everybody’s time.”



Haney would quickly respond, pointing the finger at Shakur instead.

“I agreed to 145, [you] went missing for days,” Haney replied. “Tried to put a rehydration clause on me. I wasted 6 months negotiating with you. I been negotiating with [you] since I was gonna sign to Zuffa. Ya’ll did everything for this fight not to happen, even tried to throw Keyshawn in my way.”



Whomever is to blame, the biggest takeaway seems to be that the fight won’t be happening in the immediate future, after all.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shakur Stevenson 'moving on,' Devin Haney bound for Liam Paro unification, officials say

Shakur Stevenson is “moving on” from negotiations with fellow unbeaten multi-division champion Devin Haney, an individual familiar with the negotiations told Boxing Scene Friday.

After targeting a November 28 bout in Atlanta and appearing in agreement on a 145lbs catchweight bout with no rehydration clause, the sides split late Thursday night.

One official monitoring the talks said Haney will move on to a welterweight unification bout against IBF champion Liam Paro at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Four-division champion Stevenson posted on “X” Thursday night that three-division titlist Haney “had his lawyer email and say that he would only fight at 147. Big waste of everybody’s time.”

Haney, the WBO welterweight champion, responded to WBO 140lbs champion Stevenson on “X,” writing, “You’re cap [lying]. I agreed to 145. [You] went missing for days. Tried to put a rehydration clause on me. I wasted six months negotiating with you … since I was gonna sign with Zuffa. Y’all did everything for this fight not to happen.”

A match between the under-30 pair was anticipated as a peak meeting of top-10 pound-for-pound American talents with the winner poised to declare himself the sport’s finest fighter.

After Haney father/manager/trainer Bill Haney told Boxing Scene that Stevenson was in hiding after they agreed to the 145lbs catchweight limit with no limit on Haney’s fight-day rehydration weight limit, an official close to the negotiation said the Haney side continued to “change the terms … they pulled out.”

Stevenson’s side “agreed to everything [the Haney side] wanted – 145, no rehydration clause and they agreed too – and then at the last minute they changed the weight to 147 last night,” one official said. “In my opinion, Devin is afraid of the fight and his father is a bullshit artist.”

After defeating three-division champion Teofimo Lopez on January 31 and then signing with the new Dana White/Nick Khan-headed Zuffa Boxing, Stevenson 25-0 (11 KOs) is left looking for a fight after previously failing to strike a deal with WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell.

Another ideal option would be unbeaten recent IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla, who is the WBO’s No. 1 140lbs contender and is coming off consecutive victories over Olympic gold medalists Andy Cruz and Robson Conceicao.

Stevenson won a 2016 Olympic silver medal and has claimed world titles from featherweight up to 140lbs.

Haney 33-0 (15 KOs) hasn’t fought since taking the belt November 22 against Brian Norman Jnr, but he has a hold on State Farm Arena November 28, and fighters including Norman and top-15 ranked Tiger Johnson are penciled in on separate support bouts, officials told Boxing Scene.

[Cent0089]

They will not fight

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shakur Stevenson secures release from Zuffa Boxing contract

Three months after making deal and with no agreement for a fight, they throw in the towel; junior welterweight champion moves on

With massive fanfare, lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, one of boxing’s elite pound-for-pound talents in his prime, signed with Zuffa Boxing in July.

He was by far the biggest signing for the upstart company financed by Saudi Arabia’s SELA and part of TKO Group Holdings, which is also the parent company of UFC and WWE.

But three months after Zuffa Boxing promoter Dana White raved about signing Stevenson the relationship is over with Stevenson having never fought for the company and having secured a release from his multi-fight promotional deal.

“I’m here to tell you abut the wild journey that I’ve been on these past couple of months,” said Stevenson as he was driving in a video posted to his YouTube channel on Monday. “I’ve been working my ass off, staying focused, staying in shape. I’ve been in camp for like eight weeks preparing for fights that I was told was going to happen. It has not happened but look, it is what it is.

“This is the business of boxing. I’m not mad at anyone. I’m not pointing no fingers. But upon all of these issues and things that’s been going on I requested to be released from Zuffa Boxing. Now, over the weekend, my request has been granted and now I am officially a free agent and this time out I want to tell the fans and everybody that’s in the public that I’m now taking my career in my own hands and I’m starting my own promotional company, and I’m willing to work with other promoters and anybody else that’s out there that’s willing to be serious about my career as I am about my career.”

Zuffa Boxing acknowledged to Fight Freaks Unite that it had granted Stevenson his release. His contract with Zuffa Boxing had possible opponents specified with purses attached to them and some of the names were welterweights, including WBO titleholder Devin Haney, who Zuffa nearly signed right around the time it signed Stevenson but Haney instead signed directly with DAZN.

Zuffa said it wanted to do “super fights” for Stevenson but they could not come an agreement on the Haney fight — which Zuffa was willing to let take place on DAZN PPV instead of its media partner Paramount+ — because Stevenson “didn’t really want to go to 147 pounds yet.”

Stevenson’s free agency announcement came just days after very public negotiations for him to move up in weight to challenge Haney on Nov. 28 fell apart, mainly over issues of weight.

Haney wanted to meet at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, which Stevenson said he would do but only with a 10-pound rehydration clause imposed that would limit them to weighing no more than 157 pounds on the morning of the bout.

Haney’s counter proposal was to come down to 145 pounds but not be bound by a rehydration limit. For his trouble of losing an additional two pounds, Haney was also to see a raise in his purse. But at some point last week after Stevenson agreed to 145 without a rehydration clause, things went south, in part over Haney not getting the additional money for the extra pounds, a source involved in the talks told Fight Freaks Unite at the time.

With the up-and-down Haney talks, Zuffa Boxing and TGB Promotions also exchanged offers for Stevenson to face WBA junior welterweight titlist Gary Antuanne Russell in a unification fight but they were far apart on the money. There was also talk of Stevenson fighting unretired Hall of Fame legend Manny Pacquiao in the co-feature of the long-awaited Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua heavyweight showdown on Dec. 11 on Netflix in Cardiff, Wales, but that also went nowhere.

When the talks for the fight with Haney (33-0, 15 KOs), 27, of Las Vegas, finally fell apart late last week, sources told Fight Freaks Unite that Zuffa Boxing went to Plan B and put a hold on Jan. 23 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Stevenson’s hometown, for him to fight next.

The opponent Zuffa had in mind for four-division champion Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), 29, was former WBA junior welterweight titlist and fellow southpaw Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (16-3, 10 KOs), 27, of Renton, Washington, who lost the title by decision to Russell in March 2025. After taking the rest of the year off, Valenzuela signed with Zuffa Boxing, moved down to lightweight, and has won two fights in a row while also calling out Stevenson.

Most recently, Valenzuela scored a first-round knockout of Edwin De Los Santos in June. De Los Santos lost a close decision to Stevenson for the vacant WBC lightweight title 2023. Stevenson was looking for a much bigger name than Valenzuela.

Stevenson has not fought since moving up to junior welterweight and cruising to a near-shutout decision of Teofimo Lopez to win the lineal and WBO titles at 140 pounds on Jan. 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

He likely will be out of the ring for at least a year by the time he fights again but said he was excited to move on.

“Man, I’m just excited. I’m excited. I’m excited to be in this position. I’m excited to be starting a new journey and the mission is still the same,” Stevenson said. “I want the biggest and best fights available at 135 pounds or 140 pounds, where I hold my title. It doesn’t matter the name. It doesn’t matter who you put in front of me. None of these guys can beat me.

“And I say give me maybe a year or two, we’ll get to 147, where everyone is just pressing me to be a 147-pounder. I will get there, but on my terms and not on anyone else’s. I should be No. 1 pound-for-pound coming soon. Also, I’m open for co-promoting and working with any of the networks.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Stevenson's manager: Haney fight didn't happen because of one man

The war of words between Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney won’t be resolved in the ring anytime soon.

The on-and-off discussions have gone up in flames as the two pound-for-pound talents will go elsewhere for their next fights. Haney is expected to face Liam Paro in a welterweight unification before the end of 2026, while Stevenson’s manager, J Prince, said Stevenson will return at the beginning of 2027.

Prince blamed Haney’s father, trainer and manager, Bill Haney, for the fight not coming to fruition.

“I think Devin wanted to fight,” Prince told Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas on Friday.

“I think Bill didn't want to fight, and I think they figured out a way to sabotage the fight. It's interesting how you hear all the different lies and opinions that people have on what happened. The reality of it is exactly what I just said.”

Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 3-ranked fighter pound-for-pound. Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) is No. 8 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list and No. 1-rated welterweight for its vacant title.

The weight and whether there would be a rehydration clause were the two sticking points over a potential fight. Haney, who holds the WBO welterweight title, was steadfast about having no rehydration clause. Stevenson, The Ring and WBO 140-pound champion, wanted the fight to be at 145 pounds.

Prince said an agreement was in place before the fight fell apart over the weight it would take place at.
“No rehydration clause,” Prince said.

“We agreed at 145, and Shakur was training for the fight. I was told Devin was training for the fight, but as you see, some kind of way, at the 11th hour or whatever it was, ‘Oh, we want to fight at 147 now.’ I don't think they ever wanted to fight. I think Devin did. I think Bill never liked the fight, and he figured out a way to stop it.”

“It was [a] disappointment," Prince said. "He was training hard, preparing to whoop Devin’s ass. For that to take place, and for all the time to be spent on that one fighter, we had several fighters mentioned in our contract that we should have been focusing on. For some reason, Devin was the target, and not delivering that target, we don't want to continue to move forward with him in mind.”

Stevenson, 29, has since parted ways with Zuffa Boxing before ever fighting under the promotional banner. The Newark, New Jersey, native signed with Zuffa Boxing, an emerging promotional company in which Ring owner Turki Alalshikh has made a significant financial investment, on July 9.

Stevenson became a four-division champion with a dominant unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez to win The Ring and WBO 140-pound titles at Madison Square Garden in New York on January 31.

Haney, 27, won a world title in a third division in his last fight when he beat Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision to win the WBO welterweight title on November 22 in Saudi Arabia.

While discussions of a fight between Stevenson and Haney are off the table, Prince didn't rule out them fighting down the line if they’re at welterweight at the same time.

“I think all things are possible, and we look forward to that right time,” Prince said. “I look forward to dealing with him at 147. For them to try and make it before then, and everybody making the sacrifices to make it right now, which we did, and they tucked their tail in their ass and took off running.

“They didn't want it right now. Another year, year and a half, if Devin is able to stay above the water, we'll go to 147 to deal with him.”