“144 is what the man said he wanted to do,” Bill told Fight Hub TV. “He said, ‘We’ve got to sit down like businessmen and make it happen,’ right? Well, we’ve already sat down like businessmen. We’re ready to make it happen.”
The elder Haney also pushed back against suggestions that the catchweight proposal represented a sudden change in plans.
“It’s not sudden. 144 is in the welterweight division. Are you people crazy or what?” Haney said. “Welterweight division is between 140 and 147.”
As the conversation shifted to Keyshawn Davis and his position as the WBO’s top contender, Haney repeatedly redirected attention to what he believes is the bigger opportunity.
“What is the biggest fight in boxing being made right now?” asked Haney. “Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney.”
Haney acknowledged that Davis remains part of the bigger picture, but indicated that the Stevenson matchup has been building for years.
“This thing has been brewing for seven, eight, nine, 10 years, whatever it was,” Haney said. “Just relax, and we’re going to get there. He’s on the list. He was on the list before he was up, and he’s going to stay on the list.”
Whether the fight materializes remains to be seen, but Bill Haney’s comments provided perhaps his strongest indication yet that Team Haney is serious about pursuing Stevenson at the proposed 144-pound catchweight.
The situation could become more complicated if the WBO formally orders Haney to fulfill a mandatory commitment against Davis. Until then, the Haneys seem intent on keeping the spotlight on what they believe is the biggest fight available.
