The boxing world is buzzing after explosive comments from Shakur Stevenson and his team confirmed that a mega-fight with Devin Haney is closer than ever, with both sides finally agreeing on a 144-pound catchweight that has fans and analysts alike scrambling to break down every detail. Shakur Stevenson, in a revealing conversation with Andre Ward, made it clear he is not against sitting down with Team Haney to make the fight happen, stressing that after all the tweets, weight talk, and accusations, the real business should happen at a proper table, not in public arguments. He gave Bill Haney respect for how he moves for Devin, but also made it clear that if this fight is serious, then the conversations need to happen the right way, with Shakur willing to sit down with Bill, Devin, and Jay Prince to figure out fair terms.
From Shakur’s side, the message is simple: Team Haney can talk tough publicly, but they already know he is not easy work for anybody, and he responded directly to Bill Haney calling him easy work by saying Bill can say whatever he wants when the cameras are on, but deep down he knows the truth. According to Shakur, Bill and Devin have known about his skill for a long time, and this is not some random fighter they are just now discovering, as Shakur even claimed he was probably one of Bill’s favorite fighters when he was coming up, making Bill’s sudden talk of walking him down sound more like fight promotion than real belief. The tension escalated further when Naji revealed the breaking news via a tweet stating, “Devin Haney agrees to 144 pound fight with Shakur,” and Andre Ward’s comments followed, making the Haney versus Shakur situation feel even closer to becoming real after all the arguing about weight and catchweights.
Shakur Stevenson then tweeted, “All BS to the side. Let me stop rage baiting you all. All real negotiations happen offline. Fight date TBA soon,” which changed the whole tone of the conversation, as he basically admitted that some of the public talk was just stirring fans up, but the important part was that he said real negotiations happen offline and hinted that a fight date could be announced soon. That has fans believing the fight may be closer than ever, with Devin already appearing open to 144 and Shakur already saying yes, shifting the conversation from Twitter drama to real business behind the scenes, but not everyone believes this is Shakur’s fight to dominate. Benji said Devin Haney will show Shakur Stevenson how great he is, adding another side to the debate because some fans believe Devin is being overlooked in all this Shakur hype, and from Benji’s point of view, Devin has already shown he can win big fights and adjust to different styles.
Chris Algieri also reacted to Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson seemingly finding common ground on the weight, making the fight feel a lot more realistic after all the arguments over 147, 144, and rehydration clauses, and he cited Floyd and Canelo’s catchweight of 150 lbs for their 2013 fight as a precedent, noting that Haney fought at 144 just two fights ago against José Ramirez. Bill Haney then called into Champside and pushed back on the idea that Devin Haney would be badly drained by fighting Shakur Stevenson at 144, pointing out that Devin did not even weigh the full 147 lbs for his last fight, coming in at 146, and questioning how Devin can be called drained if he is only being asked to come down a couple of pounds from what he already weighed. Greg Hackett gave his preview of a possible fight at 144, looking at it like a high-level chess match because Devin brings size, patience, and experience while Shakur brings sharp defense, timing, and control, with both fighters having something to prove.
Tim Bradley doubled down on his take that Shakur Stevenson should not need that long to grow into welterweight, stating that with Shakur’s frame, skill level, and discipline, one year should be enough time for him to properly move up and be ready for 147, adding more pressure to Shakur as fans debate whether the weight issue is a real concern or just another roadblock. Keshan Davis also put Devin Haney on notice when Max Kellerman brought up the idea of Shakur Stevenson fighting him, making it clear that he does not want to just sit back while people keep connecting Shakur to Devin, and he shut down the idea that Shakur should be the only name linked to Haney, claiming he brings his own danger and storyline. With both sides now publicly speaking around the same number and the conversation shifting from public arguments to real negotiations, the potential showdown at 144 pounds could easily become the biggest fight in boxing right now, though nothing is official until contracts are signed.
