Shakur Stevenson has formally accepted his side of the deal for a proposed October fight against Devin Haney, placing the final decision to move forward squarely on his rival. The fight, which would take place at a 144-pound catchweight, now awaits Haney’s approval to become official.
After weeks of public exchanges, Stevenson confirmed he has committed to the terms presented by Zuffa Boxing. He stated his position is clear and his agreement is locked in. “I definitely verbally agreed that we’re going to be fighting in October, and I told them to put my part down,” said Stevenson. This declaration shifts all focus to Haney and his father, Bill Haney, to either accept the bout or walk away.
The negotiations began after Stevenson’s recent loss to Teofimo Lopez, with the Haney camp repeatedly mentioning his name. Stevenson explained that he was not seeking the fight until the challenges became persistent. “After my fight with Teo, I wasn’t speaking on Devin. I didn’t bring up Devin. Him and Bill constantly had mentioned me. And when they constantly mentioned me, I was chilling. I was minding my business. Now it’s like, y’all want to fight me, I’ll fight y’all.”
The specific weight is a key part of the deal. The 144-pound limit is a compromise designed to accommodate both fighters. Stevenson, who recently moved from 135 to 140 pounds, argued for the catchweight as a fair handicap against a naturally larger opponent. “I’m not a 47-pounder. I just came up from 135 to 140. So if I’m going to move up to make the fight fair, I feel like he should be able to move three pounds down since he just fought Jose Ramirez at 144 with no problem,” he explained.
With Stevenson’s terms accepted, the boxing world now watches Haney’s camp. Their signature is the final step required to book one of the sport’s most anticipated matchups. If Haney agrees, the fight is expected to headline a major Zuffa Boxing event in October.
