Shawn Porter believes Devin Haney needs to fight Shakur Stevenson before moving up to super lightweight.
Haney, the undisputed lightweight champion, recorded his most significant victory to date when, on Saturday at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, he earned a controversial unanimous decision over Vasyl Lomachenko.
Having previously struggled to make the 135lbs weight limit for last year’s rematch with George Kambosos Jr, he cut a healthier figure throughout fight week at Vegas and at Friday’s weigh in, and he spoke, post-fight, of the possibility of continuing to defend his titles or of testing himself at 140lbs.
His next move could yet be determined by the promoter he agrees terms with – his contract with Top Rank expired at the conclusion of Saturday’s fight, making him the world’s most valuable free agent – but, post-fight, he also had an exchange with the talented Stevenson, and Porter is convinced that Stevenson should be his priority.
“He has to,” Porter told ProBox TV. “How could you not? Both those guys – they don’t want just the titles, they want everything that comes along with the titles. That means the big fights, and of course the money.
“You can never say what another fighter’s thinking or feeling, but just from the naked eye… and you’re talking to a competitor, so it’s hard for me to say, ‘No, he doesn’t want that fight; he can move up and still remain undefeated; still make a lot of money’. I would not have retired if it wasn’t Terence Crawford [I had fought in my last fight in 2021]. It had to be the best in the world in order for me to feel like I’d done it all, and after everyone I’d got in the ring with, it had to be Terence.
“I’d still be fighting right now if I wasn’t able to get in the ring with Terence, because I fought competition. I was out for the best, and I was out for proving that I was one of the best. I never had a goal to be the best – some guys have a goal to be the best – Haney, I’m sure, has a goal to be the best, which means beating Stevenson.”
Despite the 24-year-old Haney holding all four lightweight titles, opinion is split over whether he, Stevenson or Gervonta “Tank” Davis – who last month impressed in stopping Ryan Garcia – is his division’s best fighter, and Porter said: “Shakur Stevenson is unreal.
“Haney is – I use one of my dad’s words – Haney is ultra-talented. Tank is gifted in the sport of boxing. I don’t know if Tank can get on the basketball court; I don’t know if Tank can get on the starting line of a 100-metre dash and win, but when it comes to the sport of boxing, that boy Tank is gifted.
