Devin Haney is still looking for an opponent for the first defense of his WBO welterweight title, but any hopes that it will be Shakur Stevenson are fading.

In November, Haney passed Brian Norman Jr. and won the world welterweight titles. He has not fought since then, with targeted unifications against Rolando Romero and former rival Ryan Garcia coming to naught.

This now also applies to Shakur Stevenson, whose insistence on a hydration clause or catchweight per match is a step too far for Haney.

He said on social media that the fight with Stevenson would be the biggest of the year, but he also acknowledged the enormity of the fight with former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis.

“Me vs. Shakur” is the most essential one [fight of the year]. Our fight [vs. Keyshawn Davis] it would be substantial though.

Stevenson responded to these comments by presenting Haney’s demands for a public welterweight fight.

“And let me guess, I have to come in your weight class for this fight to happen because you say so?”

Haney then confirmed the disease before focusing on Davis, who is Stevenson’s close friend and training partner.

“Whenever you decide to come to “my weight class,” do it!

“For now, I’ll fight your brother Keyshawn…”

Davis was recently announced as the number one contender in this WBO division, meaning the fight will be scheduled soon. It would mark another step up for “The Businessman,” who has only fought twice at super lightweight, but last time out against Nahir Albright he struggled to break the 140-pound limit.

Two undefeated heavyweights agreeing to fight each other doesn’t happen often and almost never on a club show. In a sport based on “0” protection, managers and matchmakers typically spend years matching prospects. Boxing Insider Promotions has signed this agreement. On Saturday, June 13, Bruce Seldon Jr. (8-0, 6 KO) and Josh Popper (7-0, 6 KO) will appear at Tropicana Atlantic City, and one of them will suffer his first defeat in his career.

The two men’s names have been linked for months, and the conversation has not been peaceful. Before the evening’s fight, Boxing Insider Promotions gathered them for a face-to-face meeting. He didn’t stay polite for long. Here’s the matchup in their own words.

Coming in

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “He’s probably my fittest opponent at the moment. Other than that, we’ll go in there, do what we need to do and keep moving up the ladder.”

Josh Popper: “Honestly, it’s another fight. The plan is to climb the rankings and put myself in a position where I can outperform my competitors in every fight. It’s just another day at the office.”

How the fight was signed

Josh Popper: “Just out of curiosity, what excuses does he have in mind? His manager came up to me after my last fight, put his hand on my shoulder and said that when Bruce gets his next fight to get stronger, we’ll be ready for you. So I’m not sure what excuses he has in mind.”

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “Nothing came of it on our end. They said our name about three times and each time we said yes. They said send the contract, we printed it, signed it and sent it back right away. We were ready from day one.”

Josh Popper: “When I took this last fight, the so-called tune-up attempt, I just wanted to stay dynamic and I was told the fight was in jeopardy because they didn’t want me to gain more experience. Someone asked me at the press conference about fighting Bruce and I said yes, it would be an amazing fight for the city. Suddenly it turned into a challenge. Now we’re here and I like talking about myself in the ring.”

Hitting a soccer match

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “All I can do is laugh. It’s insignificant to mention a football match from about fourteen years ago. It’s a team sport. What does that have to do with what’s about to happen? If I was that insignificant, there would be no reason for him to keep mentioning me and interviewers would have no reason to mention my name.”

The debate about experiences becomes personal

Josh Popper: “I have learned a lot among amateurs. I have been in the ring with many different skill levels, between amateurs, sparring and what I have already seen as a professional. I plan to show it. Amateurs, baby, it’s all about experience.”

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “I did some research myself. He fought as a novice in the Masters division. He’s not necessarily an open amateur. I wish the man good luck, but I’m not going to sit back and listen to lies. They keep overestimating that he has all this amateur experience and it’s just exaggerated. He has some amateur fights that are more like exhibitions, early fights against novices who don’t know what they’re doing.”

Josh Popper: “Your research is serving you badly. After winning the Ringmasters as a novice, having an open fight and then turning pro. You need to do better research.”

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “These are two brand modern guys in boxing. It’s not one talented fighter against an athlete. It’s two newbies who are professional and undefeated boxers who are on a collision course. The experience level is very similar. I’m thirty-one years ancient, I started at twenty-nine, so I’m learning on the job and we’re still getting better.”

Recent fights and who has been tested

Each attended the other’s final performance, including Popper’s victory over Rodell Booker, which Seldon says he worked on himself.

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “My last fight was difficult and I made it difficult on myself. I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. But I just wanted to see that I can survive a difficult fight, that when I have nothing in the tank I can dig deep and make it happen, that kind of thing you can’t show people until you’re in it.”

Josh Popper: “What happened in his last fight? He didn’t know what to say.”

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “I worked the Rodell Booker fight. Nobody came close to Dylan Pumphrey, my friend.”

Josh Popper: “He was carrying me? You’re right. You know what I did? I held on to the jab and fought beautifully.”

Coaching and divided focus

Josh Popper: “Running for Bredwinners gives me the opportunity to be in the box more often. I surround myself with legitimate fighters and coaches who know what they’re talking about. I’m a trainer myself, so I have a coach’s eye and I record videos for my athletes. I train nationally ranked amateurs, top-ranked amateurs in the state and world champion fighters. That pedigree speaks for itself.”

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “That’s lovely. I salute anyone who makes money in sports. But ultimately, I focus all my attention on my own craft. However he divides his focus from the day is his business. My day is solely focused on improving myself and fine-tuning myself.”

A moment between men

Josh Popper: “I have no animosity towards you. Man to man, I have nothing in common with you. When we signed the contract, when Larry and I first talked, I said that me and Bruce were frosty. I told everyone that we were going to fight because we are grown men and that’s what we do, and I promise that we will overcome it later, without losing the love. My first amateur opponent became one of my close friends. We actually traveled together. I thought it would be the same whatever happened after this fighting.”

Josh Popper: “The thing is, your manager and coach are the ones who keep talking. I hear a lot of talk and it’s not coming from you. That’s the funniest thing. All I want to do is fight. We’ll fight on June 13. May the best man win, and then I’d love to shake your hand.”

Master’s name and blank space

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “It’s just me walking into that ring. The name has opened some doors that I can be grateful for, but on fight night it doesn’t do anything to me. I don’t think about it at all. My dad was the heavyweight champion, he’s in town for every fight, but he’s a good father. If he was in the building, I wouldn’t have a single camera on me and he knows that and that’s fine.”

Josh Popper: “Why should I worry about his dad? That’s between me and Bruce.”

What each gives to the other

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “Of all the opponents I’ve faced so far, he’s probably in the best shape and probably the most athletic. But I haven’t seen anything that stands out to me. We’re mostly in the same boat. You can’t really see what a man has until you get in the ring with him.”

Josh Popper: “He’s athletic, we both have an athletic background. He brings power, I bring power. He’ll be in shape, I’ll be in shape. That’s it.”

Forecasts and worst case

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “I’m planning on taking a break. Whichever round I land well in, that’s it. That’s all.”

Josh Popper: “I don’t like to predict. I just know that at the end of the fight I will get my hand raised. No matter what happens, that’s what will happen.”

Josh Popper: “I’m not going to lose. But hypothetically, let’s go back to the drawing board. There’s no sweet answer to this.”

Bruce Seldon Jr.: “We don’t believe in losses. We only believe in lessons. This train doesn’t stop, we keep going. But we don’t think we’re losing.”

---

Fighters

Bruce Seldon Jr. (8-0, 6 KO) is one of the most recognizable names in sports. His father, Bruce Seldon, was the WBA world heavyweight champion, and his son spent his youthful career building fans in Atlantic City, where he had fought five times. Six of his eight wins came by distance.

Josh Popper (7-0, 6 KO) is an elite athlete whose talent once took him to the NFL. He spent some time in the Modern York amateur system before turning professional, and today he owns and runs the Bredwinners stable in Manhattan, training players while building his own record. Like Seldon, he stopped six of his seven opponents.

They both bring fifteen wins, twelve stoppages and zero losses to the ring.

Get your tickets now → Ticket sales manager

Can’t make it to Atlantic City? The entire card is being streamed live and free on YouTube.

Bruce Seldon Jr. Fight vs. Josh Popper will headline a seven-fight card with Boxing Insider Promotions on Saturday, June 13 at Tropicana Atlantic City. Full card below.

Full card:

• Bruce Seldon Jr. vs. Josh Popper, heavyweight
• Daiyaan Butt vs. Willmank Canonico Brito
• Damian Tinnerello vs. Abdalla Nagy
• Kahshad Elliott vs. Scottie Stockman
• Julio Sanchez III vs. Shawn Rall
• Jahanzeb Rizwan vs. Daniel Keepers
• David Malul vs. Julius Thomas

“Yes, I 100% favor Xander,” Ortiz told MillCity Boxing. “I just see his work ethic and he has a great coach. I think he’ll be able to do it.

“And yes, I fought Boots too. It was a long time ago, but he’s definitely sharp and cunning in the ring as well. So hopefully he’ll be able to. Let’s see if he can get any of those shots back on Xander.”

“I think a lot of people underestimate Xander’s skills. I think they focus more on the flashy stuff, what they see in the Boots, and give more importance to the brilliance than Xander’s actual performance.”

Many observers predicted Ennis to win by stoppage, but Ortiz doesn’t think the fight will end that way.

“No way. I don’t think this will be a knockout. No, Boots won’t knock out Xander. I’ll tell you that now,” Jamaine said. “He’s a gigantic kid.”

Ortiz said some fans overlook Zayas’ physical development since turning pro.

“You’re talking about 16 years, these are your growing years. Men, you grow until you’re 26, 28. He’s still newborn. He’s still going to grow.”

The former lightweight also pointed to Zayas’ technical fundamentals as a major strength ahead of the fight.

“I think he’s actually able to move a lot, has good turns and stuff like that,” Ortiz said. “Jaron’s brilliance outshines all of Xander’s work. You know, when you see this whole style, it’s off the basics. His fundamentals are there.”

When asked about his final prediction, Ortiz left little room for doubt.

“I will say it unanimously.”

Ennis and WBA and WBO junior middleweight champion Zayas will fight on June 27 at the DAZN PPV gala in one of the most anticipated fights of the year, and the undefeated rivals will face each other after years of fan expectations for this fight.