Asked whether Devin would fight Stevenson, Bill’s answer was direct.

“Absolutely,” Bill said to Cigar Talk.

The problem appears to be everything that comes after that.

Stevenson has consistently stated that he would only consider facing a welterweight opponent under specific terms. Those terms have included either a catchweight of 144 pounds or a rehydration clause designed to limit how much weight an opponent can regain after the weigh-in.

Bill Haney isn’t interested in either option.

During a recent appearance with Cigar Talk host Naji, Haney rejected the idea of a catchweight and dismissed the possibility of agreeing to a rehydration clause. Instead, he said any fight with Stevenson would need to take place at the full welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

That leaves the matchup in a familiar position.

Both fighters say they are willing to face each other. Both sides publicly claim they want the fight. Yet the disagreement over weight remains exactly where it has been for months.

The situation has become increasingly noticeable because Stevenson has repeatedly called for the fight, while Devin has recently been linked to other names, including Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Sebastian Fundora, and Vergil Ortiz Jr.

The biggest obstacle doesn’t appear to be money, networks or promotional issues. It’s three pounds.

Until one side changes its position, one of the most talked-about fights in boxing may remain exactly where it is now: a topic for interviews, podcasts, and social media debates rather than a fight contract.

The old-school greats like Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson actively sought weight disadvantages to prove their greatness. Armstrong held titles from featherweight to welterweight simultaneously, and Robinson fought all the way up to light heavyweight without demanding a single concession from the bigger men.

Today’s modern approach is entirely different, and Shakur’s demands highlight that shift. Looked at closely, his insistence on a 144-pound catchweight or a rehydration clause reveals a few key motivations:

Shakur’s camp views Devin Haney as a massive welterweight who balloons up significantly after stepping off the scales. From Shakur’s perspective, the clause isn’t an unfair handicap; it’s an equalizer to prevent Haney from holding a 15-to-20-pound advantage on fight night.

In the era of undefeated records and meticulously managed careers, protecting the “0” often supersedes the old-school dare-to-be-great mentality. Shakur is a master defensive stylist who relies on precision and timing. If he yields a massive physical advantage to a natural welterweight, he compromises his entire style.

By demanding 144 pounds while simultaneously saying he’d fight Conor Benn at the full 147-pound limit, Shakur is playing a tactical game. He knows Haney has outgrown 140 pounds entirely, making a 144-pound limit a brutal ask. It allows Shakur to call for the fight publicly while keeping the terms heavily tilted in his favor.

It is definitely a far cry from the days when fighters just laced up and fought whoever was put in front of them, regardless of size.