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Shakur Stevenson Blames Devin Haney for '11th Hour' Fight Collapse

WBO super welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson announced that he will be walking away from a proposed November 28 with welterweight champion Devin Haney.
Terrance Biggs|
Shakur Stevenson
Shakur Stevenson | IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

Even with a spotless record and elite skill set, Shakur Stevenson remains one of the most criticized fighters in boxing. It seems that, no matter the situation, he is held accountable for every bit of news.

As a lightning rod for debate, Stevenson often finds himself at the center of arguments. And even when he performs well in the ring, doubts and questions seem to follow him. Despite being an undefeated champion, Stevenson rarely gets the recognition others with less impressive records typically recieve.

Some of the criticism aimed at Stevenson could be a result of unrealistic expectations. By selectively shaping his career around financial gain and public visibility, Stevenson's path often frustrates others. Recent developments are likely to exacerbate this dissatisfaction.

Shakur Stevenson
Shakur Stevenson | IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

Stevenson vs Haney superfight stalls

Tired of what he sees as demands and stipulations for change, Stevenson has decided to pivot away from Devin Haney. According to Stevenson, the November 28 superfight between Stevenson and Haney has been scrapped. Stevenson took to X to proclaim that Haney would only fight at 147 pounds, where he currently holds the WBO welterweight title.

"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."
Shakur Stevenson on X

Not one to leave anything unanswered, Haney responded, accusing Stevenson of being dishonest and vanishing when talks intensified.

"You’re cap.. I agreed to 145 u went missing for days," Haney 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. Yall did every thing for this fight not to happen even tried to throw Keyshawn in my way."

Stevenson chooses to walk away with the right timing. With November 28 less than seven weeks away, hammering out details this late in the process seems fruitless. Meanwhile, the cancellation could send Haney into a less lucrative but important fight.

Haney-Paro unification fight

IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro could be the next opponent for Haney for several reasons. First, unlike Stevenson, there is no need for a catchweight, which solves several issues. Next, Paro has something that Haney not only wants, but could use to enhance his status within the division.

Holding a unified title means that Haney would no longer need to chase other champions, with half of the four major sanctioning bodies behind him. On top of that, if Stevenson wanted to circle back later, a fight against a unified world champion would be a better selling point.

Mandatory Roadblocks

Stevenson and Haney, now that the superfight has fallen through, face pressure from their shared sanctioning body to initiate the cycle of mandatory title defenses. For Stevenson, that means Raymond Muratalla. Muratalla is a banger, with over two-thirds of his fights ending by knockout. While that will not draw the same numbers as a Haney megafight, the WBO justifies its rankings.

Meanwhile, Haney's path is less remarkable. Brian Norman Jr., whom the 27-year-old defeated last November for the WBO title, is the No.1 challenger. No one wants to see a rematch of a fight that Haney convincingly won.

Devin Haney is looking to follow Floyd Mayweather
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

While Stevenson and Haney continue to blame each other for the failed fight, that doesn't mean that they will never fight. In fact, it could actually work in both boxers' favor to build more interest in a potential future matchup. Whether this strategy will be effective is still uncertain.

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Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Terrance is a boxing writer for KO on SI. He's enjoyed over a decade of writing experience, writing for Full Press Coverage, Pro Football Sports Network and Heavy.com, covering both professional and collegiate sports. He is s a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Terrance also votes on postseason awards like the Biletnikoff, Groza, and Thorpe Awards. Biggs earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from Fort Hays State University. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his children and his fiancée, along with playing softball.