Bill Haney always believed Shakur Stevenson had flaws in his game. The problem, however, was no one was good enough to accentuate them. Earlier this month in Las Vegas, Nevada, Edwin De Los Santos, despite being given little to no chance, almost proved that he was idoneous on the night.
It was a slow fight, one that lacked any significant action with far too many protracted stints of both men simply staring at one another. De Los Santos, by all accounts, had the sort of power that could leave anyone unconscious. Stevenson was well aware as he played it safe behind a routine jab.
Whenever De Los Santos came in close, Stevenson jumped back over and over again. Although his lackluster offense was blamed on an injured shoulder, Haney isn’t buying what Stevenson is selling.
There’s a clear blueprint for future fighters to follow when they match up with Stevenson now, but not everyone is equipped with the physical tools needed. Actually, from Haney’s point of view, only two names have what it takes to permanently sully Stevenson’s undefeated record.
“There might be two guys on the planet that will expose Shakur all the way,” said Haney during an interview with ThaboxingVoice. “That’s Tank and Devin.”
Tank, otherwise known as Gervonta Davis, has been linked to practically all of the big names in the lightweight division, Stevenson is no different. The Baltimore star took care of business in his two appearances this year, taking out a pair of Garcia’s before pulling down the curtains on his 2023.
Devin Haney, Bill Haney’s son, of course, is still in the midst of his own great year. He kicked things off by taking out Vasiliy Lomachenko, albeit controversially. Now, he’s busy lifting weights and drinking protein shakes as he prepares to make his 140-pound debut against Regis Prograis on December 9th.
Both Devin and Davis go about their business in completely different ways. Devin enjoys boxing his opponents from the outside, while Davis normally sends them into orbit, usually with his left hand.
Bill Haney, unsurprisingly, didn’t give out too many details as to why he believes Stevenson isn’t on his son and Davis’ level. He did, nevertheless, provide fans with a succinct explanation for his reasoning.
“Tank based on his explosiveness and Devin based on, he got two hands and two feet.”