Roy Jones Jr. believes that WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney should not have to give up a three-pound advantage to make a fight with Shakur Stevenson, arguing that challengers should come to the champion’s division rather than asking for a catchweight.
“If I were him, I wouldn’t go down without weight. If you want to fight for my titles, come to my weight class and fight for the titles. If you don’t want the titles, then don’t come to my weight class. Meet me at 147. The weight class is 147. If you think you can beat me at my weight class,” Jones told me. Battle hype.
Jones said agreeing to a lower weight would only weaken the champion and reduce the value of any victory.
“If you want to fight me for my title, you fight the weight limit, because if you take me down a few pounds to beat me, you weaken me and never really beat me,” Roy Jr. said. “You pulled me off for not being at my best to beat me.”
Jones Jr. pointed to his own career as an example, recalling his heavyweight title win over John Ruiz. Rather than asking Ruiz to come down in weight, Jones said he simply made sure he made the heavyweight limit before challenging for the belt.
“When I fought at heavyweight, I didn’t care what John Ruiz weighed. I’m just going to make sure I’m 200, so you can’t say I can’t fight for a title because I’m not 200. I don’t care what you weigh. I’m going to beat you at your weight because that’s how I feel, but I want to fight your best, but I’m 4. that’s where I want to beat you,” Jones Jr. said.
The debate over a potential Haney-Stevenson fight intensified after Haney publicly said he was willing to meet Stevenson at a 144-pound catchweight. Stevenson initially accepted the idea before later shifting his attention elsewhere. The WBO has since ordered Haney to make a mandatory defense against Keyshawn Davis, putting a showdown with Stevenson on hold unless Haney vacates his welterweight title.
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Last updated on 2026/06/29 at 14:53
