Devin Haney Says Shakur Stevenson Tried to Sneak in a Rehydration Clause
Devin Haney claims Shakur Stevenson disappeared for days and tried to add a rehydration clause to their catchweight deal.
The Devin Haney vs. Shakur Stevenson saga just got another chapter, and this one is about what happened behind closed doors.
Haney posted on X that he agreed to fight at 145 pounds, only for Stevenson to go missing for days during negotiations. When Stevenson resurfaced, per Haney, he tried to add a rehydration clause that would cap how much weight Haney could gain after the weigh-in.
"I wasted 6 months negotiating with you," Haney wrote. He also claimed the talks started while he was about to sign with Zuffa Boxing and accused the Stevenson camp of doing "everything for this fight not to happen."
Stevenson had his own version of events. He posted that after both sides agreed to 144 and then 145 pounds, Haney is lawyer sent an email saying Haney would only fight at 147. "Big waste of everybody is time," Stevenson wrote. He pointed to an October 8 exchange in which he replied to Haney is 145 offer with "145.0 U GOT A DEAL."
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, and nobody has produced the lawyer is email. What is clear is that the WBO welterweight title fight between the two remains unsigned. Boxing News 24 reported that no date has been confirmed, and the catchweight and rehydration terms appear to be the sticking point.
Haney typically fights at 147 and dries out to make weight, per the report. A 155-pound rehydration cap would limit how much he could put back on after weighing in, a meaningful restriction for a fighter moving down. Stevenson is coming up from 140.
Six months of negotiations and we are arguing about rehydration clauses. This is boxing in 2026.
I get both sides here. Haney is the bigger man at 147. He has to cut to make that weight, and you want to cap how much he can rehydrate? That is a real competitive disadvantage, not just paperwork. But Stevenson is coming up from 140 and giving up size. He does not want to show up on fight night against a guy who ballooned back to 160.
The problem is neither of these guys actually wants to lose. Not the fight, the negotiation. Every clause, every counteroffer, every disappearing act is about gaining an edge before the first bell rings. That is smart business and terrible for fans.
If this fight happens, it is one of the best matchups in boxing. Two elite defensive fighters with slick footwork and nasty timing. But at this rate, we will be reading about rehydration clauses in 2027 while both guys fight someone else.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/devin-haney-has-reasons-to-reconsider-shakur-catchweight/
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