Shakur Wants Haney At 144 – ‘The Fight Is Big'

Shakur Stevenson, the WBO Junior Welterweight Champion, has set his terms for a Devin Haney fight. 

This specific weight limit middle ground is intended to reconcile the weight differences. For the reigning WBO Welterweight champion Haney, a 144-lb limit provides a much more manageable weight cut. Stevenson highlighted Haney’s 2025 win against Jose Ramirez as a "proof of concept." Since Haney looked sharp and dominant at 144 lbs in that contest, Shakur argues there is no legitimate excuse.

For Stevenson, who still possesses a frame better suited for the 135-lb division, 144 lbs is the "red line." The primary obstacle is Haney’s current status. Since the Ramirez victory, "The Dream" has fully acclimated to the welterweight division. Moving back down, even slightly, is a tougher sell now that he is an established champion at the higher weight.

Shakur Reacts

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Stevenson remains focused on the "Pound-for-Pound" aspect of the matchup rather than the belts. From a promotional standpoint, asking a sitting world champion to drop weight for a non-title fight is a tall order. 

"I think that Haney fought at a catchweight against Jose Ramirez two fights ago, if I recall, and it was 144 pounds. So, I would love to do it at 144 pounds. We can meet him in the middle. I don’t think that the belt has to be on the line. I think that the fight is big enough for both of us to be fighting at a catchweight. And I don’t think the belts really matter in that instance. I think we can both sell out a big arena, and it’ll be a tremendous fight," Shakur said 

Metric	Shakur Stevenson	Devin Haney
Record	25-0 (11 KOs)	33-0 (15 KOs)
Current Title	WBO Junior Welterweight	WBO Welterweight
Proposed Weight	144 lbs	144 lbs
Stakes	Bragging Rights / P4P	Bragging Rights / P4P
Condition	Non-Title Bout	TBD

Other Options

Credit: DAZN

If the Shakur fight does not happen, Devin could seek options at 154 pounds. The WBO and WBA 154 champ Xander Zayas has spoken previously about wanting to face him.

"[Team Haney] wanted the fight, we wanted the fight, but they never said a number. The TV provider needs to have a number to know how he’s going to make the fight happen. I was going to run through him. He maybe gets in [the ring] at 160[lbs]… I’m getting in that ring at 180[lbs]," Zayas

"As long as someone makes weight against me… [I don’t care] what you hydrate up to in 24 hrs. It won’t matter," Haney

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