By Adam Baskin: Shakur Stevenson warned Devin Haney that he better not catch him without his security staff because he will smack him after he talked mega-trash on social media today, crossing the boundaries with some of the things he was spewing.
In response, Shakur hit the red nuclear button, posting a video of Devin’s father, Bill Haney, admitting they’re ducking that smoke by fleeing the 135-lb division to swerve Stevenson so they can preserve his unbeaten record.
In the secret video of Bill, he seems to be saying that Shakur is the better fighter, so Devin is leaving the division.
Haney (30-0, 15 KOs), who holds the undisputed lightweight championship, is moving up to light welterweight division to challenge the weakest link, 35-year-old Regis Prograis, for his WBC title after the World Boxing Council made Shakur (20-0, 10 KOs) his mandatory at 135.
“If it’s too hot at 30, we’ll go to 40,” said Bill Haney in a secret recording of him on Twitter, which reveals that Devin Haney is ducking Shakur Stevenson by fleeing to the 140-lb division to escape the heat to avoid a loss.
As you can see here, Bill Haney is admitting that it’s become “too hot” for Devin to stay at 135 now that Shakur Stevenson is his mandatory challenger for his WBC lightweight belt. Bill knows that if Haney stays at 135 any longer, the gravy train is over. Shakur will beat Devin soundly, and all that money that Haney has been making will dry up.
If it’s hot we ready to go to 40 brotha https://t.co/IDlIp51qlN
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 28, 2023
See u soon 👌🏾 https://t.co/EOY21TVAK6
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 28, 2023
And now I better not ever catch u by yourself anywhere.. Cause I’m smacking the shit out u, make sure u tell yo security never leave to side bitch ass nigga! https://t.co/jmunGvBPE2
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 28, 2023
U a bitch just like yo bitch ass father and Stfu for I post him talking crazy.. https://t.co/bABzT9BFsr
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 28, 2023
And I didn’t record that video nor did I tell the nigga who was wit me to record that shit 💯
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 28, 2023
What’s clear is that if Shakur Stevenson wants a fight with Devin Hney, he will have to move up to 140 and try and force the match if Dev captures the WBC title from the over-the-hill Regis Prograis.
If Haney loses to Prograis, who can still punch, that’ll sink his career and wreck that big-money unification that he’s angling for against WBO 140-lb champion Teofimo Lopez.
Even then, there’s no guarantee that Haney will defend against Shakur, because he could vacate the WBC 140-lb belt to avoid the fight.
Shakur is staying at 135, thinking that Gervonta Davis will look in his direction one of these days and fight him. It’s not going to happen, unfortunately, and Shakur is going to get old waiting for that fight.
What will likely happen is Shakur will grow out of the lightweight division while waiting for Tank Davis to fight him, and he’ll miss out on the mega-fights he could get if he moved up to 140.