Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney are fighting. Only, instead of trading blows in the ring, they are exchanging shots on social media. With neither champion willing to budge on the weight limit and each blaming the other for the stalled negotiations, fans’ hopes of seeing the fight risk becoming a pipedream.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“At the 11th hour, after agreeing to 144 and then 145, DeeHoe (Devin) had his lawyer email and say that he would only fight at 147,” Stevenson wrote on X. “Big waste of everybody’s time.”
Stevenson’s comments stem from earlier discussions between the two. He first called out Haney on social media in June this year.
Pointing to examples such as Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Canelo Alvarez at a 152-pound catchweight, Stevenson argued that a fight at 144 pounds – a limit four pounds above his current weight class – was a reasonable demand. Haney responded, “If I come to 144, we have a fight?” Stevenson agreed.
This time too, Haney responded with a sharp rebuttal. “You’re cap… I agreed to 145; you went missing for days,” the welterweight champion wrote. “Tried to put a rehydration clause on me. I wasted 6 months negotiating with you. I been negotiating with u since I was gonna sign to Zuffa. Y’all did everything for this fight not to happen even tried to throw Keyshawn in my way.”
The latest dispute follows another exchange between the champions two weeks earlier. After Stevenson called him out again, Haney stated his terms: “147… no rehydration; let’s get it done.”
Two days later, Haney proposed a December 2026 date and called out Stevenson, saying, “Let’s do this 145 no rehydration clause @ShakurStevenson… let’s see who’s the real pu**y!”
You’re cap.. I agreed to 145 u went missing for days. Tried to put a rehydration clause on me. I wasted 6 months negotiating with you.. i been negotiating with u since i was gonna sign to Zuffa. Yall did every thing for this fight not to happen even tried to throw Keyshawn in my Show more
At the 11th hour, after agreeing to 144 and then 145, DeeHoe had his lawyer email and say that he would only fight at 147. Big waste of everybody's time.
Stevenson fired back: “The weight bully is exposed,” he wrote. “He’d rather revisit the catchweight conversation than fight at his weight with a 10-pound limit. My people are in contact with your people. We will get this fight done. I told you yesterday I’m done negotiating this fight online.” On October 7, Stevenson added, “145.0 U GOT A DEAL DEEHOE!!!!”
Speaking to BoxingScene, Bill Haney, Devin’s father, discussed November 28 in Atlanta as the intended date and said an offer had been presented to Stevenson’s team. After claiming that the two sides had agreed to a 145-pound limit, Haney Sr. added that Stevenson had gone quiet ever since.
“In my commitment and pursuit to create a dream super fight for Devin that’s long awaited and just due—an opportunity for Shakur Stevenson to be a five-division champion, through Turki Alalshikh and Dr. Rakan—we’ve wanted to make this fight happen,” Bill Haney said.
“We’ve done it—negotiated, compromised—in a way the champion Devin should not, but in the vigor and tenaciousness that he approaches belts and pound-for-pound people, it’s more than admirable that he’s chosen to go down to 145 lbs.
“Despite all of our pursuit and energy … Keyshawn Davis did that, too, when we wanted Keyshawn and Shakur back-to-back because we believe in Devin. But him, Shakur, and (their representative James) Prince are quieter than church-house mouses.”
Shakur Stevenson vs. Devin Haney: So near, yet so far
Meanwhile, a few outlets revealed that purse negotiations could also derail the matchup. Reports suggested that Haney opposed an equal split because of his pay-per-view history, while Stevenson’s team pointed to his unbeaten record and championship achievements.
Neither Stevenson nor Haney is a stranger to social media exchanges. Both champions have a history of trading barbs, insults, and callouts with other figures, including Ryan Garcia and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Ahead of their January 31, 2026, fight at the Madison Square Garden, Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez traded barbs on social media. The light welterweight champion has also called out Lamont Roach Jr. and Vasyl Lomachenko.
Haney and Tank Davis have also exchanged insults that became increasingly personal, drawing attention across social media.
What makes the Haney-Stevenson situation so intriguing is that it closely follows talks between Stevenson and Gary Antuanne Russell, who holds the WBA title at 140 pounds for a potential title unification. According to Russell’s camp, the talks are still in place, including discussions about financial terms.
If one goes by Bill Haney’s comments, approximately six weeks remain until the proposed date for Haney vs. Stevenson. The matchup, however, remains unconfirmed.
Questions surrounding both compensation and the weight limit could delay finalization. A postponement and cancellation remain possible, but neither outcome is certain without further confirmation from the camps.