Devin Haney Targets Liam Paro Unification After Shakur Talks Collapse
Devin Haney may keep his November 28 date and chase Liam Paro for a second welterweight title.
Devin Haney is done waiting on Shakur Stevenson. After months of failed negotiations, the WBO welterweight champion is pivoting to IBF titleholder Liam Paro for a unification bout that could land on November 28 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, per Boxing News 24.
The Haney-Stevenson saga ended with both sides blaming the other. Stevenson accused Haney of shifting the agreed weight from 145 to 147 pounds. Haney denied it, writing on X: "I agreed to 145." He also claimed Stevenson tried to slip in a rehydration clause. An unnamed official gave BoxingScene a different account, saying Stevenson accepted 145 without a rehydration clause before Haney's camp moved to 147. Either way, the fight is dead.
Haney has not fought since beating Brian Norman Jr. last November. Another round of drawn-out negotiations could push his layoff past twelve months, a dangerous stretch for any champion trying to stay sharp.
A Paro fight might actually be better for fans. The Australian showed serious guts when he upset Subriel Matias in Puerto Rico, working the body and fighting inside. That pressure style would force Haney to engage in ways Stevenson's defensive approach never would have.
Norman and Tiger Johnson are reportedly penciled in for undercard bouts on the same card. Nothing is signed yet, but Haney's team appears ready to move fast.
I said it when the Shakur fight fell apart and I will say it again: Devin Haney needs to fight somebody. A year on the shelf is not champion behavior. Paro is the right call. He is a real fighter who showed up in hostile territory and took Matias apart. That is a guy who will make Haney work.
Honestly, I think this fight is more entertaining than Haney-Shakur ever would have been. Two guys who like to box at range, neither one willing to let it go? That card was always going to disappoint. Paro brings pressure, he commits to the body, and he is not afraid to trade. If Haney can handle that and unify, it tells us a lot more about where he stands at 147 than outpointing Shakur ever would have.
Get the deal done, Devin. Atlanta is waiting.
