Foster, of course, is disappointed by Stevenson’s decision. The Ring’s No. 2-ranked junior lightweight and WBC champion was hoping that his recent win over Raymond Ford, Stevenson’s good friend, would lead to their own showdown.

Nevertheless, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist is aiming for a 144-pound catch-weight fight against Haney.

Foster, 32, has always been confident in his ability to beat Stevenson. However, if a fight against Haney materializes, not only does he have that same confidence in Haney, he also has a feeling that the WBO welterweight champion could make it look easier than many realize.

“I think it definitely would be a chess match, but I think Devin got a little more to him,” Foster told The Ring’s Rick Reeno on the newest episode of the Mr. Verzace Podcast, which was released Tuesday. “I think Devin could expose a lot with Shakur.”

For the majority of fans, Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) would be the favorite in a fight against Haney.

The 29-year-old southpaw from Newark, New Jersey has barely lost rounds in his career. Even when he took on elite competition, like Teofimo Lopez on January 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York, Stevenson cruised to a lopsided decision.

The 27-year-old Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) is a three-division champion himself, however, and was very impressive in his last fight. He dropped Brian Norman in the second round and beat him by unanimous decision to win the WBO 147-pound crown November 22 on “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Ring’s No. 1 welterweight and No. 8 pound-for-pounder was ordered late last month to begin negotiations with Keyshawn Davis, his No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger.

If Haney decides to drop the belt to face Stevenson instead, Foster will watch their fight closely.

The Orange, Texas native thinks Stevenson is a good fighter and believes he has what it takes to beat Haney. The overwhelming praise Stevenson has received in the boxing world is still too much for Foster’s taste.

“I don’t feel like he’s gonna just easily beat Shakur and I don’t feel like Shakur is gonna easily beat him,” Foster said. “But I do think it’s a dangerous fight and I do think that a lot of people look at Shakur as this new untouchable type guy. But he knows once he gets in the ring with me or Devin, all of that changes. He’s gonna have to take more chances, he’s gonna get hit and I think that’s what he’s worried about, the image.”