Haney’s ‘Punch Resistance’ Questioned

Eddie Hearn has confirmed the concerns of Devin Haney’s own team, revealing that his father and trainer, Bill Haney, are worried about his son’s “punch resistance” after the Ryan Garcia knockdowns.

This admission comes as Haney challenges WBO Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. on November 22. Norman Jr. is a knockout artist with a 28-0 record, which includes 22 KOs. Haney is coming off a win against Jose Ramirez in his last fight in May. The performance was criticized, as CompuBox had it as the fifth lowest fight in terms of punch output. Tim Bradley accused Haney of having PTSD from the Garcia fight, where he was dropped three times in a majority decision loss that was overturned into a no-contest after Ryan’s failed VADA tests for Ostarine. Hearn anticipates that Haney will adopt a cautious approach.

“He’s Bill’s son, and Bill doesn’t want him to get hit. And they’re concerned about his punch resistance. That’s the truth. And if you’re concerned about your punch resistance, I think it’s a dangerous game. So, Devin will get on his bike against Brian Norman, and he’ll try to outbox him,” Hearn said 

The Reality

This concern does have some merit. Facing Brian Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs), a noted knockout artist, in his welterweight debut only heightens the fear that Haney will once again rely on extreme caution and movement. Norman Jr. is known to possess significant punching power, as evidenced by his recent vicious knockout of Jin Sasaki.

And yet, Haney cannot be expected to forget the Garcia performance without having a series of fights under him. The Ramirez performance was the first fight since Ryan, but also after having been a year away from the sport. The fact Garcia lost his fight to Rolando Romero showed that Haney’s mindset was ensuring on getting a win regardless of the cost. However, moving forward, Haney’s performances need to improve.