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Shakur Stevenson says he would be willing to move up to 140 in 2025 to fight Devin Haney because he feels he is a “attraction for the public.” The timing is not ideal for a Haney-Shakur fight to happen next year.
Former two-division world champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) had been on a high, picking opponents to beat to capture two division world titles. However, Devin, 26, has not been seen since he was defeated by Ryan Garcia on April 20, and there are many questions about whether he will be able to bounce back from that loss.
Shakur vs. Haney in 2025?
Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) already has his full plate ahead of him in 2025, with a title defense of his WBC lightweight belt against rookie Floyd Schofield on the Turki Alalashikh undercard on February 22 in Riyadh and then potentially a title fight against #1 contender William Zepeda in the summer.
A third fight against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in 2025 is also possible, provided the fight can be negotiated. The money issue will determine whether Tank agrees to fight Shakur. Tank would have to be made a huge offer.
“We could make the fight. It’s all up to Devin too. I am willing to fight any fighter. They called me three times to negotiate. “I’m willing to go up to 140 because I think Devin Haney is a crowd puller and I think it would make sense,” Shakur Stevenson told Bet on yourself podcast when asked if he would be interested in fighting Devin Haney.
“Regardless of what you’ve seen from me, you’ll see a better version of me on February 22,” Shakur said of his title defense against rookie Floyd Schofield in Riyadh. “I said that if Zepeda avoided me, I would fight him. Many casual fans know this guy and think he’s a good fighter.
“I also want to define who the casuals like. Yes casuals like this type. “I’m going to beat a casual favorite,” Shakur said about why he chose Schofield as his next opponent.”
Shakur’s next fight
It’s interesting to hear Shakur explain his reasoning for choosing the 22-year-old Schofield as his next opponent instead of the more dangerous Andy Cruz or Raymond Muratalla.
Saying he’s focusing on who casuals like is a weak argument for why Shakur chose Schofield over Muratalla. Stevenson appears to have selected Floyd Jr. because it is an easy, risk-free fight. Schofield is an inexperienced prospect who looked beatable in his recent fights against second-tier opponents.
After Shakur’s close fight against Edwin De Los Santos last year, in which he almost lost, he is in no danger of fighting well and is at risk of Tank’s fight going bye-bye.
Shakur wants the pot of gold he can get by fighting Gervonta Davis, and if he faces Cruz or Muratalla, he could be defeated. That gold bar disappears at that moment.
