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Devin Haney must defend against Keyshawn Davis or the title will be vacant

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Image: WBO Reaffirms: Devin Haney Must Defend Against Keyshawn Davis Or Vacate Title

Devin Haney may have his sights set on the long-talked-about fight against Shakur Stevenson, but the WBO has made it clear that another opponent is on the agenda.

Haney and Stevenson recently exchanged messages online in which both men appeared ready to face each other at the 144-pound catchweight division. With neither fighter currently scheduled to return, speculation surrounding the matchup quickly escalated.


However, the sanctioning body maintained its position regarding Haney’s responsibilities as WBO welterweight champion.

“Devin must next release himself from his mandatory duties,” the WBO said Ring.

The statement was released after Keyshawn Davis was elevated to No. 1 in the latest WBO welterweight rankings following his decision to begin his full-time campaign at 147 pounds. The Ring reported that Haney’s mandatory title defense is scheduled to take place in August, leaving little room for alternative plans if he intends to retain the belt.

Keyshawn has already hinted that he is done competing in the welterweight division after victories over Jamain Ortiz and Nahir Albright earlier this year. He later reinforced that commitment by turning down the opportunity to fight Lindolfo Delgado for the vacant IBF 140-pound title.

Haney publicly acknowledged Davis as a potential opponent, but also maintained that the highlight would be the fight with Stevenson. Meanwhile, Stevenson insisted that any fight between the pair would have to be at the 144-pound catchweight.

If Haney fights Stevenson next, it appears the WBO is ready to strip him of his welterweight title. If he wants to remain a champion, the organization’s message remains unchanged: Keyshawn Davis comes first.

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Categories Devin Haney, Keyshawn Davis and Shakur Stevenson

Last update: 2026/06/12 at 2:14

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Boxing

Shakur Stevenson says Prime Minister Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Prime Minister Floyd Mayweather ‘wouldn’t be competitive’

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Shakur Stevenson says prime Sugar Ray Robinson vs prime Floyd Mayweather ‘wouldn’t be competitive’

Hailed as the number one pound-for-pound advantage in boxing history, Sugar Ray Robinson is appreciated by purists, while Floyd Mayweather is considered by many to be the best fighter since the turn of the millennium. Now undefeated four-division champion Shakur Stevenson has commented on what a fight between the two would look like.

One of the reasons for the pound-for-pound classification is that Robinson lost only one of his first 132 professional fights and is considered by the masses to be the greatest boxer to ever grace the sport.

But speaking further Ward’s Art Podcastcurrent pound-for-pound star Stevenson has stated that he doesn’t believe a fight between Robinson and Mayweather would be competitive at all, confidently choosing contemporary great go upstairs.

“Floyd Mayweather [would have won]without a doubt. Floyd Mayweaher, no doubt, not even close, nothing to even think about.

“I don’t think it would be a competitive fight.”

Stevenson then expanded on his opinion, stating that Mayweather’s style is simply much more “evolved” and that his defensive advantage would prove too much for Robinson to overcome.

“Floyd Mayweather had a different look, so Floyd put his hands up [high guard]he would have his hands right here [in front of his chest] sometimes he had it here [Philly Shell]he had a different look. I feel like his game was much more developed than Sugar Ray Robinson’s.

“A lot of times, if you watch Sugar Ray Robinson, his hands were always there [left hand low, right hand on chin]. From an offensive standpoint, Sugar Ray Robinson would be harder to deal with than Floyd Mayweather.

“But from a defensive standpoint and who could have done more, who has the better boxing, IQ and skill, I think Floyd Mayweather was way ahead of Sugar Ray Robinson.”

This debate is arguably one of the toughest fantasy matchups in boxing, not only because of their extraordinary talent, but also because they competed in very different eras, under different rules, training methods and levels of competition, making any direct comparisons speculative.

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Jaron Ennis accidentally admits that boxing stars have forgotten the grim reality

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Image: Jaron Ennis Accidentally Admits The Grim Reality Facing Boxing's Forgotten Stars

“I’m just excited to fight one, you know, a guy who has two belts, the guy who is insideyou know, one of the top guys in the division. I’m ready to silence everyone,” Ennis told Matchroom Boxing.

This was an intriguing choice of words by Ennis. He could have simply described Zayas as a world champion, belt holder, or one of the division’s elite fighters. Instead, he called him “the guy who’s on top.”

For many fans, the meaning of this phrase will immediately resonate.

Whether it’s a popular audience at school, established circles in the workplace, or simply feeling left out despite proving yourself, most people understand the difference between those who are a “work in progress” and those who are still trying to earn acceptance.

Ennis spent most of his professional career in the latter category.

Despite establishing an undefeated record, winning world titles and earning a reputation as one of boxing’s most talented fighters, the Philadelphia native was often left out of the biggest conversations in the sport. While names like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Conor Benn made headlines thanks to their competition, social media presence and promotional support, Ennis largely let his performances do the talking.

But now he believes his moment has come.

“I feel like after this fight I’m the man, you know, in every division. So I feel like I’m taking over boxing, you know, starting June 27,” Ennis said.

Later in the video, Ennis sounded like a fighter convinced that June 27 was his chance to break into boxing’s biggest conversations.

“June 27, gigantic knockout… whatever he thinks he’s doing, I’m doing a lot better,” Ennis said. “You can’t jab better than me, not faster than me, not better than me, not harder than me, your defense is not better than mine, and your footwork is not better than mine. You know, these are the levels. I am the best in the world.”

Zayas enters the fight as the current WBA and WBO 154-pound champion and one of the most recognizable figures in the division. For Ennis, beating a fighter he considers “the guy who’s in it” would mean more than just adding two more belts to his collection.

This would be an opportunity to finally move from the periphery of boxing to the very center of discussion in sports.

Ennis and Zayas will fight on June 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Novel York, with the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles broadcast live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

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Naoya Inoue targeted for ‘inevitable’ fight dubbed ‘one of the best in boxing history’

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Naoya Inoue targeted for ‘inevitable’ fight branded ‘one of the greatest in boxing history’

Just weeks after defeating Junto Nakatani in a historic all-Japan bout, Naoya Inoue is being heavily linked to another “inevitable” rivalry.

Inoue, a four-division world champion, is currently considered the number one pound-for-pound weight in boxing, with last month’s triumph over Nakatani considered the best victory of his career, which cemented his position in first place.

While many fans were eager to see “The Monster” move up in weight again in an attempt to conquer as many divisions as possible, many are now hoping he hits the brakes and stays at 122 pounds for a while.

That’s because of a potential super fight with former unified super flyweight world champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who will move up to bantamweight on Saturday but is then willing to take another chance in his pursuit of Inoue.

I’m talking to Ring MagazineRodriguez maintained he was focused on this weekend’s clash with WBA bantamweight world champion Antonio Vargas, but admitted a meeting with Inoue seemed “inevitable.”

“Honestly, no [I am not thinking about the Naoya Inoue fight]. Like I said, one fight at a time. My focus is on Antonio Vargas, but I know that when that Inoue fight happens, the fans will be in for a great night of boxing.

“People are already talking so much about this fight that it is inevitable at this point and I feel like when the time comes it will be a great fight – probably one of the best in all of boxing history.”

Vargas vs. fight Rodriguez will take place on June 13 at the Desert Diamond Arena, and “Bam” will want to win world honors in the third league and fight one of the biggest fights in boxing.

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