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.

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

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.

“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.