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Mar 20, 2026
Mar 20, 2026
3 min read
Shakur Stevenson finally has his career-defining opportunity, as he will face WBO junior welterweight titleholder Teofimo Lopez on Jan. 31 in New York.
NEW YORK – Devin Haney isn’t the only opponent Keyshawn Davis views as worth moving up seven more pounds to fight.

Davis discussed during his post-fight press conference early Sunday morning his willingness to take a transatlantic trip to the United Kingdom for a shot at Lewis Crocker’s IBF welterweight title. The undefeated Davis became the first opponent to beat Jamaine Ortiz by knockout when he stopped Ortiz with 13 seconds remaining in Davis’ junior welterweight debut, the 12-round co-feature on “The Ring 6” undercard Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Davis’ time in the 140-pound division could be limited because the Norfolk, Virginia native’s close friend, Shakur Stevenson, took The Ring and WBO junior welterweight titles from Teofimo Lopez in “The Ring 6” main event.

Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), No. 7 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, and Davis (14-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC) have repeatedly said they will never fight one another, which would prevent Davis from embracing his most meaningful fight if Stevenson stays in the 140-pound division. Stevenson also owns the WBC lightweight title and is open to dropping down five pounds again for the right fight.

Regardless, Davis is confident he could thrive at welterweight, despite the fact that he has only competed once at junior welterweight. Northern Ireland’s Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs) defeated Ireland’s Paddy Donovan (14-2, 11 KOs) by split decision to win the then-vacant IBF 147-pound crown September 13 in Belfast, Crocker’s hometown.

“Me and Eddie Hearns was having a conversation also about Lewis Crocker,” Davis said in reference to Matchroom Boxing’s Hearn, Crocker’s promoter. “You know what I’m saying? I would love to go to the UK and fight him in the UK, main event, of course. And I would love to fight Lewis Crocker as well. You know what I’m saying? So, it’s not just for Devin Haney. But he is on my hit list.”

Haney, a former undisputed lightweight champ, took the WBO welterweight title from Brian Norman Jr. on November 22. Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) dropped Norman (28-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC) in the second round and won a unanimous decision on “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Bill Haney, Devin’s father, trainer and manager, discussed during “The Ring 6” fight week that his son and Davis have exchanged private messages about facing each other next. Davis would be heavily favored to dethrone Crocker, whereas Haney vs. Davis would be considered a much more competitive bout between elite-level talents.

The IBF also ordered Crocker last month to make a mandatory defense of his title against Australia’s Liam Paro (27-1, 16 KOs) next. That fight has yet to be scheduled.

As much as he would want to challenge Crocker or Haney, Davis might fight at junior welterweight again next.

The former WBO lightweight champ mentioned another newly crowned champ from the UK, England’s Dalton Smith, as a potential opponent. Sheffield’s Smith (19-0, 14 KOs), who is also promoted by Hearn’s company, upset Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias (23-3, 22 KOs) by fifth-round technical knockout January 10 to win the WBC junior welterweight title at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“Dalton Smith is there, too,” Davis said. “He cool. He just dapped me up, told me congratulations. He a good dude. You know what I’m saying? But he got that strap that I want. You know what I’m saying? And I’ll fight Dalton Smith in the UK, too.”

Smith might not be able to make an optional title defense against Davis, either, because former WBC champ Alberto Puello is his mandatory challenger. The Dominican Republic’s Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) lost his title to Matias by 12-round majority decision on “The Ring III” undercard July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.
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