Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney go way back. These two have been competing since their early days in the sport, sparring against each other before they even became big names. Over the years, that friendly competition turned into a full-blown rivalry, especially after Shakur Stevenson publicly called out The Dream for a fight.

Flashback to May 2023: Haney had just secured a win over Vasyl Lomachenko, and the Newark Southpaw wasted no time making his intentions clear. He wanted Haney next. The plan? A showdown for undisputed lightweight supremacy. Negotiations kicked off, but just as quickly as they started, they fell apart. So, what went wrong?

Haney, the 31-0, 15 KO boxer, reportedly offered Stevenson, the WBC Lightweight Champion, just 25% of the purse—a deal that Stevenson wasn’t having. From there, things got messy. Stevenson accused Haney of ducking him, while Haney fired back, claiming Stevenson had simply priced himself out.

Instead of making the fight happen, Haney vacated his lightweight titles and moved up to super lightweight, setting himself up for a blockbuster fight against Ryan Garcia in April 2024. And we all know how that turned out.

After the chaos that followed—including Ryan Garcia’s legal battle with Haney and the eventual rematch agreement—Stevenson was recently asked what he thought about how Haney handled the whole situation.

In a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, Shakur Stevenson made it clear. Shakur Stevenson made it clear—he doesn’t agree with how the 26-year-old handled the PED situation. When asked about Haney pressing charges after his altercation with KingRy, the 27-year-old didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts. “I don’t think he should’ve pressed no charges,” he said, straight up.

His reasoning? Boxers should settle their differences in the ring, not in court. “We are boxers at the end of the day,” the 23-0, 11 KO boxer added. He was emphasizing that fighters should handle business the old-school way. Fighting inside the ring, and not by filing paperwork.

That said, Stevenson didn’t completely dismiss Devin Haney’s talent. Despite disagreeing with his decision, he still gave him his flowers, saying, “I think he’s a hell of a fighter too.” So, while Shakur Stevenson may not support Haney’s move, there’s no denying that he respects his skills in the ring. But can you guess his winning pick in the Fatal Fury event?

Shakur Stevenson questions Devin Haney’s mental toughness

Shakur Stevenson fully believed Devin Haney is leveled above Jose Ramirez. “No disrespect to Jose. Devin is way better than him [Jose Ramirez],” the Newark Southpaw stated confidently. But there’s one thing he’s not so sure about. Haney’s mental strength. And honestly, he might have a point. 

Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is set to take on former WBC and WBO light welterweight champ Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) on May 2nd at Times Square in New York. On paper, Haney should win this with ease. No disrespect to Ramirez, but let’s be real—Haney is the more skilled boxer. But here’s the catch: Is he still the same fighter after what happened against Ryan Garcia last April?

We all saw it—Haney got knocked down three times, took heavy damage, and left the ring with his aura shattered. That loss wasn’t just physical—it was mental. Instead of bouncing back quickly, Haney took a year off. That’s a long time to be sitting on the sidelines, especially for a guy who used to be all about taking on challenges. Meanwhile, Ramirez has been active and kept his momentum going.

So, the real question isn’t whether Haney is more talented than Ramirez. It’s whether he still has that same fire. With that said, do you agree with Shakur Stevenson? Should Devin Haney have just taken the loss and moved on instead of suing Ryan Garcia? And most importantly, does The Dream have what it takes to make an easy comeback against Ramirez, or could this fight be tougher than expected?