By Adam Baskin: Shakur Stevenson says he’s “ready” to fight Devin Haney next, and he will be trying to set that fight up with him next.
Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) hasn’t indicated whether he’ll fight Shakur next because the only guy he was talking about last Saturday night at the post-fight press conference was Gervonta Davis.
What has to be viewed as a hint that a fight against Shakur isn’t in Haney’s immediate plans is when he ran out of the ring afteer the fight when he attempted to call him out.
Haney, looking as big as a house, had jumped into the ring to call out Lomachenko last October at MSG immediately after his win over Jamaine Ortiz to call him out.
Lomachenko didn’t run out of the ring to avoid him. He stood his ground, and after pointing out that Haney resembled a “You heavyweight,” he let him know he was interested in fighting him.
But when Shakur tried the same strategy, Haney dashed out of the ring as fast as his feet could carry him, which tells you all you need to know. Haney doesn’t want that smoke.
Shakur (20-0, 10 KOs) states that if Haney were smart, he’d move up to 140 now rather than drain down to 135 and fight him after losing all that weight.
It’s not that Stevenson views the 140-lb division as a poorer one. He feels that Haney won’t be as weak, trying to fight him in that condition.
Shakur ready to fight Haney
“Nah, I don’t need one more fight [at 135]. I’m ready to fight as soon as he’s ready. He just fought. So as soon as he’s settled down and can get himself together, I’m ready to fight,” said Shakur Stevenson to Stamina For Sale about undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
“My honest words that I would have to say to them [Haney & his dad Bill] is it’s time. This is the moment that we’ve been waiting for our whole lives. It’s time. Let’s make it happen.
“Devin is a good fighter. He did better than I expected [against Vasyl Lomachenko]. When I went back and re-watched it, he did a lot better than I thought. Devin is a competitive fighter. That’s the best thing that he’s got.
“When I got in the ring, I wanted a call out because that’s what he did with Lomachenko. He jumped in the ring when he fought Jermaine Ortiz [last October at Madison Square Garden in New York].
Haney won’t be #1 for long
“Bill [Haney] keeps saying nobody is calling his phone. So, I just wanted to get in front of his face. When I got in front of his face, Bill didn’t even look my way,” said Shakur about the reaction from Bill Haney when he got in the ring after the fight last Saturday and tried to call out Devin.
“Bill ain’t even acknowledged me, and Devin, he said something, and as he said it, he walked away. Everybody knows what I said. I said, ‘For now.’ He said, ‘I’m #1.’ I agree with him. I don’t take nothing away from Devin. He is #1, but I told him ‘for now.’
“He’s not going to be #1 for long. If he was smart, that would be his best bet,” said Shakur when asked if he thinks Haney is going to move up to 140. “If his team was smart, it would be strategic for him to go and fight the fighters at 140, and I’m not saying that 140 is a weaker division.
“I just feel as though he’d probably be a lot stronger, and he may feel a lot better at 140 than draining all the way down to 135 and fighting a fighter like me.
“That’s the next big fight. That’s the Super Bowl,” said Stevenson when asked about his thoughts on a fight against Gervonta Davis. “For sure, I’m very confident I beat everybody.
“It was like a chess match. It was more like a thinking game between me and Tank,” said Stevenson when asked about having sparred with Gervonta in the past. “I like fighting southpaws. I think he said in one of his interviews that he doesn’t like fighting southpaws. It was good for me.
Devin should give Lomachenko a rematch
“Lomachenko, he’s not done yet,” said Shakur when asked who he wanted to fight besides Haney and Tank Davis. “I thought he was done. Before he fought Devin, I thought he wasn’t the same fighter no more. But then I watched him fight Devin, and I think Lomachenko is still a high-skill level fighter, and I would love to get in the ring with him.
“If it was me and I was in his shoes, I would for sure run it back, because I would want the public to judge me off that fight,” said Shakur when asked if Haney should fight Lomachenko again.
“I wouldn’t want them to think that this dude beat me, or it could have been that because that’s going to travel with him for the rest of his career. If Floyd never rematched [Jose] Castillo, I think it would have traveled with Floyd throughout his career.
“He rematched Castillo and beat him convincingly and made it an easy fight. I think if it was me, I would want to show the public that it was just a little off night. ‘Watch what I do to him now.’
“Right now, we’re seeing what’s up with Devin. Let’s see if Devin wants to fight. Bill said nobody called his phone. So now we’re going to start calling his phone and let’s see if they pick up the phone calls.
“It’s a possibility that they do, and it’s a possibility that they don’t,” said Shakur when asked if he thinks Bill Haney will pick up the phone when his management attempts to set up a fight with Devin.
“I don’t see them fighting me, but let’s see. I’ve been really focused lately after my fight with Robson Conceicao. I feel like my focus went all the way up to a new level,” said Shakur on why he suddenly looked powerful in scoring a knockout in his last fight.
“I lit a lot more fires to where outside of boxing, all I’m thinking about is boxing 24/7. When my focus went up, my performance went up. They’re trying to play it like it was that dude, but honestly, if you put anybody in front of me, I’m going to dismantle them.
“The future holds is that I’m going to be a Hall of Famer and one of the best boxers that ever lived. I want to join the Alis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and the Floyd Mayweathers of the world and the Andre Ward’s of the world.
“I want to join them and get my spot and legacy like they got their spot and solidity it,” said Shakur.
