Tim Bradley claims Shakur Stevenson is giving the wrong impression by remaining hushed after Devin Haney agreed to a 144-pound catchweight fight that Stevenson had publicly requested for a fight between the two.

Former two-division world champion Bradley expressed his frustration, arguing that Haney made the concession Shakur wanted only for talks to seemingly stall.

“I was OK at 144. I was OK,” Bradley said on the Into The Storm podcast. “I say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a meeting in the middle.'” Haney immediately admitted to 144, bro. That’s what you said.

“And then you disappear. You disappear. MIA. You hear crickets. Where are you? He’s trying to pick a damn fight.”

“Remember how I said you would take the throne? No, you won’t.

“I don’t think you’ll take the throne, brother. The way you move tells me so, brother. It tells me everything I need to know.”

“There’s too much going on, dog. Really.”

Bradley’s criticism comes as Haney faces pressure to resolve his WBO welterweight title situation. The sanctioning body had previously ordered Haney to defend against mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis, leaving a constrained time to finalize the Shakur fight before the mandatory defense deadline.

Bradley also suggested that Haney is now the fighter pushing the hardest to make the fight happen.

“Haney Wants You” Bradley said. “Haney looks like a gigantic dog now.”

Earlier this month, Haney publicly agreed to face Shakur at the 144-pound catchweight division after the undefeated WBC lightweight champion indicated that one of his concerns was fighting at the full welterweight limit.

If the Haney-Shakur fight is not finalized, Haney may be forced to fulfill his WBO mandatory obligation to fight Keyshawn Davis at the end of the summer.

Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.

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Last updated: 18/06/2026 at 16:52

Frank Warren has shared his reaction after Tyson Fury revealed a “gigantic announcement” with Dana White is imminent.

Warren spent several years as Fury’s promoter, helping guide him back to the world heavyweight title during an epic trilogy with Deontay Wilder, before defending the title in UK stadium fights against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora.

Fury’s last few fights have been facilitated by Turki Alalshikh, and that will be the case again this year when “The Gypsy King” faces his long-awaited clash with compatriot Anthony Joshua.

A fresh twist emerged this week when Fury appeared at a UFC White House event and teased a potential deal with Zuffa Boxing boss White, even though Eddie Hearn claimed the contract for the Joshua fight stipulated that White could not promote the fight.

This was also reported recently that Las Vegas is the current favorite to host the fight, sparking anger among British fight fans.

Warren has now I talked to TalkSport about all the recent drama, emphasizing that he is still linked to Fury and that nothing has been decided yet as to where the fight will take place.

“Tyson has not signed a contract with anyone. I have a contract with him at the moment, which I am very ecstatic with, and our business relationship has been very good and continues to be good. I have no problems.

“The promoter of the last few fights was: [Turki]that’s where the money to promote the programs came from, nothing has changed. Life goes on as normal.

“We don’t know yet [where it will be]. Nothing has been decided yet. It would be great to be in the UK, there are two Brits where there should be.

Before their clash later in the year, Joshua must first defeat Kristian Prenga in July, while Fury is also scheduled to fight in August, with details of that fight expected to be released soon.

Author: Sean Crose

Last weekend I attended a fight event in my hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. For the first time in about 50 years, a fight card appeared in the city. Willie Pep once fought there in front of 20,000 people, but those days are apparently long gone. However, those who thought it would be foolish to bring boxing back to society found out that they were very wrong. More than a thousand spectators gathered at the Palace Theater in the city center to watch local fighter Michael Kimbel try to climb the ladder. The main event was a thriller. As do most of the cards leading up to this.

Kimbel knocked down his fighter in the first round. However, his opponent, the very competitive Edgar De Leon, came back and knocked down Kimbel. Not once, but twice. The staggered Kimbel was barely able to hold himself up. But the thing is, he actually stuck to it. After surviving the round, he took control of the fight and basically beat the crap out of destitute De Leon. The fight was stopped a few seconds before the end of the eighth and final round. No one argued that the referee made the wrong decision. De Leon’s face felt like a punching bag and there was no need for him to take further damage at this point.

After the fight ended, the crowd in Waterbury, long known to be a crafty place, erupted in celebration. Indeed, it was a wild night of boxing, with relatives trying to jump into the ring and fans shouting four-letter obscenities for a full three minutes of each round. Unfortunately, some people brought their children there. Quick Tip… Don’t take your kids to a boxing match until they’re senior enough to handle nuclear bombs and the effects of solemn alcohol consumption. After the season ticket expired, one of the theater employees, who was used to musicals, concerts and other performances, decided that now that he had taken up boxing, he needed a drink.

Point well made. Here’s the thing though… The little fight cards are fun. Adult oriented but fun. Yes, there are people who make drunk fools of themselves. Yes, there are people who can’t lend a hand but scream as if they know anything they’re talking about, but it’s still a great feeling to have as many as 2,000 people screaming their approval and really engaging with the action taking place in front of them. What’s more, it’s great for the players involved. Fight critics don’t understand that fight fans love watching fighters win even more than they love watching them lose. That’s quite a distinction. When you fight at the local level, there is a sense of community.

There will undoubtedly be a sense of community in Atlantic City on Saturday night as Boxing Insider Promotions presents another of its popular live cards. The key to such events is not to show the stars of the day, but to show the rising stars of tomorrow. These people are hungry and want to impress. This makes for a good viewing experience, especially when a fan watches the entire broadcast live and in person. The truth is that boxing needs more of this type of thing. Players need to be seen growing in front of an audience. Petite cards like Saturday’s turn out to be a testing ground for future talents.

It’s great to be able to say that you knew a popular player even though no one knew who he or she was. There is a sense of community for viewers who have been there from the beginning. This is all worth the attention of boxing fans.