Bill Haney says Devin could fight Shakur Stevenson at 147 in future

By Boxing News - 01/16/2023 - Comments

By Jim Calfa: Bill Haney says that a fight between his son Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson will happen at 140 or, more likely, at 147.

Next up for undisputed lightweight champion Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) is Vasyl Lomachenko in May, possibly in Saudi Arabia, according to Bill. He says that could be Devin’s last fight at 135 because he’s outgrown the division.

After Lomachenko is out of the way, Haney will need another opponent, and that could be Shakur Stevenson, as long as he’s willing to go up to 140 or 147 to make the fight a reality. Naturally, Bill wants the Haney vs. Shakur fight to take place where both guys are most comfortable, and he feels that it would be ideal for a “super fight” at 147. That’s the “money” division, Bill says.

The big question is will Stevenson’s hand speed slow down in moving up to 147 for a fight with Haney? Likewise, will Haney’s speed diminish in moving up in weight?

“Absolutely,” said Bill Haney to Thaboxingvoice when asked if Devin Haney is the most avoided fighter at lightweight. “Anybody not knocking on that sanctioning body’s door demanding it, and going around and demanding it.

“Not just on social media but you have to do more. You know what that more is.

“It’s a big fight with Shakur and a big fight with Tank just like Lomachenko.  They’re all big guys in different ways and their styles make fights. For Devin to develop into the fighter that we know him to be and to rightfully be on top of the Mount Rushmore of boxing, all those make great fights.

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“Shakur is already an elite fighter. He’s worth negotiating and making the fight happen in the weight class that’s. Potentially it could be at 135, but I think it’ll be at 140 or 147. It’s a big fight. So that’s a fight that probably won’t need a belt.

“Those two guys have risen to a respectable level in the sport, so whenever they cook, it’s going to be good. It’ll be for something, I’m sure, but what it is, I don’t know,” said Bill about whether a world title will be on the line for the Haney vs. Shakur fight at 140 or 147.

“I know at 135 pounds, Devin has all the belts. So if it was Devin staying back for a fight, it would be for that. Going up to 140 or 147, I don’t know what.

“If Devin goes up to 140 and looks to become undisputed, and Shakur looks to become undisputed at 135. Devin moves up to 147, and Shakur looks to become undisputed at 140. They plateau out where there’s no more growing at 147, and 147 being the money division and the smaller guys. It just looks like a super fight at 147 on a level playing field.

“A lot of guys want to catch us slipping. We don’t want to catch Shakur when he’s slipping. We know that when the fight happens, it’ll be fair on either side to see two bad jokers get together, and it’ll be an even playing field,” said Bill.