Devin Haney may want the Shakur Stevenson fight, but the WBO has made its position clear: Keyshawn Davis is next if Haney wants to keep his welterweight title.
Haney and Stevenson recently agreed online to the idea of a 144lbs catchweight fight, giving fans another reason to believe their long-discussed matchup could finally move forward. But Haney currently holds the WBO title at 147lbs, and that belt comes with a mandatory obligation.
“Devin must discharge of his mandatory next,” the WBO told The Ring.
Davis was moved to No. 1 in the WBO welterweight rankings after committing fully to 147lbs. He had already made it clear he was done at junior welterweight, even turning down a chance to fight Lindolfo Delgado for the vacant IBF 140lbs title.
That leaves Haney with a decision. He can defend against Davis and keep his belt, or chase the Stevenson fight and risk being stripped. For now, the WBO’s message is simple: before Shakur, there is Keyshawn.
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