Shakur Stevenson has named his preferred Zuffa Boxing debut opponent as Devin Haney faces a crucial decision regarding his WBO welterweight strap.
‘The Dream’ claimed his belt by dethroning Brian Norman Jr with a unanimous decision victory, which saw him become a three-division world champion in November.
But since then, Haney has been ordered to face mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis after missing his window to make a voluntary title defence.
With no deal being negotiated, a purse bid hearing has now been scheduled for July 27, giving Haney under a week to decide whether to vacate his belt.
Stevenson, meanwhile, has named the 27-year-old as his first-choice opponent but, at the same time, is not opposed to facing WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell later this year.
According to the WBO super-lightweight champion, a date in October is being explored for his Zuffa debut after it was announced earlier this month that he has signed with promoter Dana White.
While speaking with FightHype, Stevenson also proposed a potential clash with Russell, who defended his super-lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Andy Hiraoka in February.
“I would like Antuanne [if it’s not Haney next]. There’s fighters out there [that are] real good fighters, so you can’t say, ‘Oh, s**t, there’s nobody to fight’.
“Antuanne is a hell of a fighter.”
While Russell would likely be open to facing Stevenson, the 30-year-old is already set to feature on a Premier Boxing Champions card later this year.
As for Gervonta Davis, who Stevenson has also highlighted as a desirable opponent, it seems unlikely that ‘Tank’ will return to action until 2027.
