Shakur Stevenson Eyes January 23 Return in Newark After Haney Fight Collapses
Shakur Stevenson is reportedly targeting a January 23 return at Newark's Prudential Center after talks with Devin Haney fell apart.
Shakur Stevenson is reportedly eyeing a January 23 return at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, according to veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael. If the date holds, Stevenson will have been inactive for a full year.
The return comes after the much-anticipated superfight with Devin Haney completely fell apart. Both sides have pointed fingers. Haney says he agreed to a 145-pound catchweight but Stevenson then demanded a rehydration restriction. Stevenson's camp says Haney tried to move the target to 147 pounds after initially agreeing to a lower weight. Rafael called the breakdown an "apparent implosion."
Zuffa Boxing, which promotes Stevenson, has not named an opponent for the January card. Names like Raymond Muratalla, Richardson Hitchins, and Ernesto Mercado have been floated in boxing media as potential matchups, but nothing has been confirmed.
The light welterweight division has moved on without Stevenson. William Zepeda recently replaced him at No. 1 in The Ring's lightweight rankings, and the longer he sits, the more the conversation shifts away from him. A year on the sidelines is an eternity in a division this stacked.
Newark is home turf for Stevenson, and the Prudential Center has hosted some of his biggest nights. A homecoming fight makes sense as a way to shake off the ring rust and remind people why he was considered one of the sport's pound-for-pound best before the inactivity took over.
I've been saying it for months: the Haney fight was never going to happen. Too many egos, too many contract games, and neither side was willing to take even a sliver of risk on the terms. Now Shakur has been out a full year, lost his Ring ranking, and is talking about coming back against an unnamed opponent in January. That's not where you want to be when you've spent the last two years telling everyone you're the best in the sport.
The talent is real. Shakur is one of the most technically gifted fighters alive. But talent doesn't mean anything if you're not fighting. Zepeda passed him in the rankings because Zepeda actually fights. Muratalla and Hitchins are out there building resumes while Shakur negotiates himself into inactivity.
January in Newark is a solid landing spot. The crowd will be electric, he'll look sharp, and he'll probably dominate whoever they put in front of him. But unless the next fight after that is a real name at 140, this is just treading water.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/shakur-stevenson-targets-january-return-after-haney-collapse/
