“Would love to step in” - Shakur Stevenson initiates talks with Devin Haney’s camp amid Ryan Garcia’s alleged mental health struggles

Shakur Stevenson sees a possibility that he may be Devin Haney's next opponent.

With many fans worrying about the mental health and well-being of Ryan Garcia ahead of the WBC super lightweight title fight on April 20, some have speculated that the 25-year-old may be pulled from the matchup. As the current WBC lightweight champion, Stevenson sees himself as the top candidate for a potential replacement.

Stevenson tweeted that he "reached out" to Haney's father, Bill, and "would love to step in." His tweet read:

"Damn I reached out to Bill didn't get a reply but we would love to step in especially in NY.. We would sell out and it's a big fight"

Stevenson became the WBC lightweight champion with a win over Edwin De Los Santos in November 2023 for the vacant title. The championship was left behind by Haney, the former unified lightweight titleholder, who left behind all five of his former belts to pursue the super lightweight division.

Garcia, who has puzzled fans for weeks with questionable activity on social media, has insisted that he will compete on April 20. 'King Ryan' went as far as posting images of supposed medical documents showing proof that he was clear of alleged drug use.

Though Garcia has continued to post uncharacteristic content on X, there have been few signs of the matchup being in legitimate jeopardy one month out.

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Has Shakur Stevenson ever fought at super lightweight?

As the heir to Devin Haney's former WBC lightweight title reign, Shakur Stevenson has openly called for a second belt in pursuing a fight with his predecessor.

Should Stevenson get the call as a replacement for Ryan Garcia against Haney, the fight would be his debut at super lightweight. Now in the lightweight division, Stevenson began his career as a featherweight before making his way up to 135 pounds.

With a 21-0 record, Stevenson has now won titles in three separate divisions, with his most recent win over Edwin de los Santos.

Although still undefeated, Stevenson received harsh criticism from several fans and fighters for his performance in the WBC lightweight title fight.

Stevenson briefly claimed he wanted to retire in January despite being just 26 years old due to complications with future fight negotiations.