Usyk Backs Shakur Stevenson Over Devin Haney in 145lb Showdown

Oleksandr Usyk has thrown his weight behind Shakur Stevenson to beat Devin Haney, should the two unbeaten champions finally get into a ring together. Speaking to Fighthype, the lineal heavyweight king — himself 25-0 (16 KO) — argued that Stevenson has the skill set to outbox the naturally bigger man, even as most onlookers lean the other way.

The fight itself is still in the talking stage, but the details are hardening. Bill Haney, father and trainer of 'The Dream', has floated November 28 in Atlanta, Georgia, at a catchweight of 145lbs — and crucially, with no rehydration clause attached. Stevenson, the 29-year-old WBO super-lightweight champion sitting at 25-0 (11 KO), agreed to those terms via social media.

The Size Question

Haney is the bigger body here, and that's the whole debate. The 27-year-old holds the WBO welterweight title at 33-0 (15 KO), having fully settled into the 147lb division. Dropping to 145 with no rehydration limit lets him refill overnight — a meaningful edge for a three-division champion against a man moving up from 140.

That's why Usyk's call cuts against the grain. The counter-argument is simple: Stevenson's volume, footwork and ring IQ travel up in weight better than most, and a two-pound catchweight isn't the same as asking him to carry 147.

Debuts and Dormancy

For Stevenson, this would be his Zuffa Boxing bow and his first outing since unanimously dethroning Teofimo Lopez in January. He's been linked to Manny Pacquiao and Gary Antuanne Russell — the WBA super-lightweight champ at 19-1 (17 KO) — but appears set on chasing a fellow pound-for-pound name instead of defending his belt.

Haney, meanwhile, carries real rust. If November 28 holds, it'll be over a year since he last fought, a unanimous-decision win over Brian Norman Jr. that landed him the welterweight strap. Ring timing is a funny thing — and Stevenson's accuracy tends to punish hesitation. Usyk, for one, has made his prediction. The rest of us get to find out if the heavyweight has an eye for the little guys.