\u201cDrop the belt and let\u2019s make it occur then what\u2019s the delay Billy boy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe demand marks a shift in the general public discussion surrounding the fight. When Stevenson and Haney first exchanged messages about meeting at 144 kilos, the main target was on agreeing to a catchweight moderately than Haney relinquishing his WBO title.<\/p>\n
Since then, the WBO has ordered Haney to make a compulsory defense against Keyshawn Davis, creating a possible obstacle to the Stevenson fight. Nevertheless, Shakur has not explained why Haney must vacate the belt before negotiations can proceed, moderately than allowing the sanctioning body to rule on the mandatory or exploring alternatives reminiscent of a delay or step-aside agreement.<\/p>\n
From Haney\u2019s perspective, if Shakur says:<\/p>\n
\u201cDrop the belt after which we\u2019ll make the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The subsequent query is:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s my guarantee?\u201d<\/p>\n
Once Haney vacates, he has already given up something of value. If negotiations then collapse over money, a rematch clause, purse split, venue, broadcast rights, or the rest, Haney has lost his WBO title with nothing to indicate for it.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why, in boxing, fighters generally don\u2019t give away leverage unless there\u2019s a signed contract contingent on it. If Shakur\u2019s condition is real, Haney\u2019s team could say:<\/p>\n
\u201cWonderful. We\u2019ll vacate after the contracts are signed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Or:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll vacate concurrently with the official fight announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
That protects Haney. Without those protections, Haney can be taking all the chance.<\/p>\n
His comments have created fresh questions since the clearest immediate consequence of Haney vacating the title can be opening the door for Keyshawn to fight for the vacant championship. Shakur and Davis have long described one another as close friends, with Stevenson repeatedly referring to the Norfolk native as his \u201cbrother\u201d <\/strong>and insisting he would never fight him.<\/p>\nAny connection between the 2 stays unclear, and the unbeaten former three-division champion has offered no public explanation beyond insisting Haney \u201cdrop the belt.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposed Haney-Shakur fight stays unsigned, with Haney also facing the WBO\u2019s deadline to barter terms for a compulsory defense against Keyshawn unless the title situation changes.<\/p>\n
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Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, recognized for his direct evaluation and extensive coverage of the worldwide fight landscape. His reporting focuses on major bouts, divisional developments, and the game\u2019s most discussed storylines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cWhat\u2019s up with the 144 you said out your mouth?\u201d Bill Haney said in a video shared by Fight Hub TV, pressing Stevenson and his team to maneuver negotiations forward. Stevenson responded directly on X. \u201cDrop the belt and let\u2019s make it occur then what\u2019s the delay Billy boy.\u201d The demand marks a shift in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":360631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[1415,19565,3309,9128,14466,14011],"class_list":["post-360630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-davis","tag-forcing","tag-hand","tag-haneys","tag-keyshawn","tag-shakur"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t
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