After positive steps towards making a fight, Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson are said to be moving on after their teams could not finalise terms behind the scenes.
The pair of elite world champions have been linked throughout 2026, but the match-up appeared off the table earlier in the year due to a dispute over the weight.
Stevenson, who has fought just once at super-lightweight, wanted to meet at a catchweight of 144lbs, and was even said to be demanding a 10lbs rehydration clause.
Team Haney at first remained firm on the welterweight limit of 147lbs, where he beat Brian Norman Jr. last November to become WBO world champion.
Earlier this month, the fighters appeared to have a breakthrough, publicly agreeing to 145lbs on social media. Fans got excited, and predictions began flooding in.
Today, Stevenson said that, despite the initial agreement, he received an email from Haney’s lawyer saying that they were now switching back to 147lbs. Haney hit back, saying Stevenson ‘went missing for days’ after they had agreed to 145lbs, and that his rival ‘did everything’ for the fight not to happen.
Whoever is at fault, the fight now seems dead in the water.
Boxing Scene‘s Lance Pugmire now reports that Haney will revisit a fight with IBF champion Liam Paro. The Australian won the belt from Lewis Crocker in June and has since called on all champions in the division – Haney, Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez – to unify. Bill Haney, father and trainer to Devin, previously announced that November 28 in Atlanta was the target for his son’s return.
Who Stevenson now targets remains unclear, though fans will begin to criticise the inactivity. He has not been in the ring since an impressive victory over Teofimo Lopez in January, a particularly frustrating period of inactivity due to a high-profile promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing announced in July.
