Shakur Stevenson, the reigning WBO super lightweight champion and Uncrowned’s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer, made a stunning exit from Zuffa Boxing without ever having a single fight. The news dropped on Monday, leaving everyone guessing, but now his longtime manager, James “J” Prince, has finally spoken out, and he ain’t holding back. Prince explained to FightHubTV that they’re looking for “relationships and situations where people honor their word and keep their word. That’s important to us.” And judging by what he said next, someone definitely didn’t honor theirs.
The Fight That Never Was: Devin Haney Drama
According to Prince, the contract with Zuffa had the purses and other details “pretty much agreed upon.” The real problem? “It was just getting an opponent.” He singled out Devin Haney as “the wrong opponent” that took up “a lot of time.” Prince laid it bare, saying, “I think Devin wanted the fight, I think Bill [Haney] didn’t want the fight. And I think they figured out a way to sabotage the fight.” He wasn’t shy about calling out “all of the lies and opinions that people have on what happened,” insisting his version is “the reality of it.”
Stevenson himself had claimed on social media that the negotiations for a Haney fight imploded at the 11th hour because Haney insisted on fighting at 147 pounds, the welterweight limit, instead of the 145-pound catchweight they’d reportedly agreed on. Haney fired back, denying the 145-pound claim and saying he *did* agree to it, but then Stevenson tried to tack on a rehydration clause he wouldn’t accept. Prince shut that down, saying, “That’s part of the lies that’s being told , no [rehydration] clause. We agreed at 145 [pounds], and Shakur was training for the fight. I was told Devin was training for the fight. But as you see, some kind of way, at the 11th hour or whatever it was, ‘Oh, we want to fight at 147 now.’” Prince was clear: “I don’t think they ever wanted the fight.” He reiterated his belief that “Devin did, [but] I don’t think Bill never liked that fight , and he figured out a way to stop it.” For Prince, they had “several fighters mentioned in our contract that we should’ve been focusing on, but for some reason Devin was the target. And not delivering that target, we don’t want to continue to move forward with him in mind.” Talk about a mic drop!
Behind the Release: Misaligned Visions and Denials
When Zuffa Boxing signed Stevenson back in July, the understanding was he’d be available for fights from 135 to 147 pounds. But Stevenson’s intention was to stay put at 135 or 140 pounds, not jump straight to welterweight. Zuffa tried to get him fights at 140 pounds, but couldn’t seal a “viable matchup.” So after talks with Haney and “multiple fighters” fell apart, Stevenson’s path just “no longer aligned with Zuffa’s immediate plan,” and they apparently granted his request to be released. While it was initially described as “mutual,” Stevenson later reposted a video of his former promoter Eddie Hearn absolutely ripping into Zuffa Boxing for their “failure” to keep the pound-for-pound talent.
And get this: reports on Monday after his release claimed Stevenson was offered $7 million to fight Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in January, but supposedly demanded a whopping $15 million instead. Prince, however, “vehemently denied that a Valenzuela fight was ever discussed with him.”
So, what’s next for the WBO super lightweight champ? With Prince’s explosive accusations and Stevenson’s clear dissatisfaction, it’s pretty obvious this boxing drama is far from over. One thing remains true, though: Shakur Stevenson is still Uncrowned’s No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter, and wherever he lands next, you can bet the boxing world will be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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