Shakur Stevenson has demanded Devin Haney vacate his WBO welterweight title to remove a key obstacle blocking their potential fight. The standoff centers on Haney’s mandatory defense obligation against Keyshawn Davis, which is preventing the high-profile bout from moving forward.
The public exchange began after Bill Haney, Devin’s father, issued a direct challenge to Stevenson. He posted a simple message stating, “You have the contract. Sign it.”
Stevenson’s response was immediate and shifted the responsibility back to the Haneys. He made his position clear on the matter. “Shut yo ass up and vacate that belt so I could beat yall ass,” said Shakur.
His comment directly addresses the primary complication in the negotiations. WBO President Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed that Haney’s next fight must be a mandatory title defense against the top-ranked contender, Keyshawn Davis. If Haney chooses to fight Stevenson instead, he would almost certainly be stripped of his championship belt. This requirement has stalled discussions that previously centered on a 144-pound catchweight.
Stevenson’s demand is a clear attempt to force a decision. By telling Haney to vacate, he is signaling that the fight itself is more important than the title. This tactic removes the WBO’s mandatory challenger from the equation entirely, simplifying the path toward a contract.
This places Haney at a crossroads. He can either fulfill his WBO obligation against Davis to retain his status as world champion or relinquish the belt to pursue the more commercially significant fight against Stevenson. The negotiations remain at an impasse, but Stevenson has made it clear that from his perspective, the solution is for Haney to give up the title.
