Devin Haney Inserts Himself After Stevenson–Lopez

By saying he is available, Haney forced the conversation away from London and back to the elite talent standing right in front of Shakur.

Money is the motivator here. Stepping into the ring with Shakur or Benn would likely dwarf the checks Haney saw for his wins over Brian Norman Jr. and Jose Ramirez. He knows his value, and he made sure everyone else remembered it, too. He wanted to be part of the equation before Benn and Stevenson could begin negotiating.

By making himself available publicly, Devin puts the pressure on Shakur to either acknowledge the challenge or justify why a trip to face Benn makes more sense. It is a strategic play that keeps Haney’s name at the top of the list for the next big event.

Fighting either of those two would likely attract a lot more attention for Haney than if he were to face welterweight champions Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero or Lewis Crocker.

Haney was strategic in his social media post today. He didn’t trash the Benn fight or try to block it. What he did was put his name in the spotlight for a second, letting them know that he’s a viable option. Now it’s up to Shakur to make a choice. If he heads to London, he can’t claim there were no big options left at home. Haney made sure of that.

For Haney to get a fight against Stevenson or Benn, it’ll come down to whether he would offer the bigger payday for either.