Shakur Stevenson is pursuing a fight with undisputed lightweight champion, Devin Haney, but there are questions as to whether or not it will happen.
Haney is fresh off the second defence of his belts, this time against Vasiliy Lomachenko in a fight that delivered its billing of a ‘chess match.’ The American took it via unanimous decision.
Stevenson was announced as mandatory by the WBC following a sixth round TKO over Japan’s Shuichiro Yoshino – his first fight at lightweight having been champion at both 126lbs and 130lbs.
Although he felt Lomachenko won the fight, that hasn’t swayed him from pursuing a shot at the belts.
He told FightHype he would be activating his mandatory position to fight Haney next – although alluded to rumours the champ may move up to super lightweight before it can happen.
“I’m fighting the winner next. I mean, that depends on if he stays at 135, because I’m hearing he’s gonna go up.”
Haney has made no secret of being tight at the weight, and has floated moving up more frequently of late.
However, in the aftermath of the Lomachenko fight he did say that he would stick around for just two bouts – Stevenson and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
If he does, it’s a Catch-22 in Stevenson’s mind – he believes the weight cut will affect him in the ring.
“He gotta cut all that weight. He look a little bit weak in there, he ain’t look too strong. Man, whatever he do he can’t f**k with me.”
Asked further about the fight, Stevenson said that he saw ‘a lot of flaws’ in Haney that he believes he can exploit on the way to a victory.