Hall of Fame inductee Tim Bradley sees only one man emerging triumphant in a potential showdown between Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney.
It was reported on Monday that preliminary talks had begun for an all-American clash later this year, though Stevenson later denied any negotiations had taken place.
If the two American stars do meet, several details would need to be resolved, including whether they would fight for Haney’s WBO welterweight world title or at a 144lb catchweight.
Stevenson has, after all, previously claimed that he would only be willing to meet the likes of Haney, Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn at this particular catchweight.
It would therefore appear that there is still plenty of work to be done, though both champions have at least expressed an interest in their possible clash.
Stevenson claimed his WBO world super-lightweight title in January, jumping up from 135lbs to dethrone Teofimo Lopez with a dominant points victory.
Haney, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision triumph over Brian Norman Jr, who he dethroned in November to become a three-division world champion.
The 27-year-old’s most notable victory, however, came against Vasyl Lomachenko in 2023, when he retained his lightweight titles with a far more debatable unanimous decision.
Based largely on this performance, two-weight world champion Bradley has claimed on his YouTube channel that, against Stevenson, Haney would find it immensely difficult to get the job done.
“I got Shakur. Shakur all day. Shakur is a pressure fighter… He puts that pressure on your ass.
“If Haney struggled with Lomachenko, he’s going to struggle against Shakur Stevenson.
“I told ya’ll, [Stevenson’s] the best fighter in the world.”
Most would argue that Stevenson is more of a slick technician than an all-out pressure fighter, though his style is perhaps best described as versatile.
