“I respect the WBO. I respect the rules,” Bill Haney wrote. “I also believe that boxing belongs to the people. The people have made it clear they want to see Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson share the ring, and we’ll do our part to see if that fight can be made.”

Devin then addressed the possibility of facing Keyshawn instead.

“True champion.. I will fight anyone! Keyshawn asked.. as long as the business is right I believe it will get done! InshaAllah,” Haney posted on X.

The most revealing part of Haney’s statement may have been his reference to the business side of the fight.

The WBO is expected to order Haney to defend his welterweight title against Keyshawn Davis, but a sanctioning body’s ruling cannot force a champion to accept terms he doesn’t believe are worthwhile. If negotiations fail, Haney could choose to vacate the title rather than proceed with a fight he views as a poor financial deal.

That possibility cannot be dismissed.

While Davis has emerged as one of the sport’s top young talents, he remains relatively inexperienced as a professional, with only 15 fights, and has never competed at welterweight. He is also attempting to move directly into a title fight without first establishing himself in the division.

From a promotional standpoint, the matchup presents challenges.

Haney’s fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko generated significant interest because Lomachenko was already an established international star and former three-division world champion. Davis does not yet have that level of mainstream recognition, and neither fighter has proven himself to be a major standalone pay-per-view attraction.

That could make financing the fight difficult if Haney is seeking the type of purse associated with a reigning world champion and one of boxing’s biggest names.

Unless a deep-pocketed backer such as Turki Alalshikh decides to support the event, some promoters may view Haney-Davis as a high-risk fight with uncertain commercial upside.

For the time being, Haney has left the door open. Whether the fight gets made could depend less on the WBO’s order and more on whether the money makes sense for everyone involved.