Why Haney Will Suffer Against Norman Jr.

Devin Haney and Brian Norman Jr. have reportedly verbally agreed to a fight, which could take place in November, as we look at if this is the right move for Devin. 

Haney made his debut at 147 pounds in his last fight, beating Jose Ramirez via a unanimous decision. While it was a win following the Ryan Garcia no-contest, the performance was heavily criticized. CompuBox had it as the fifth-lowest fight in terms of output, as Haney was accused of running.

Meanwhile, Norman Jr. is one of the most explosive fighters at 147. He defended his WBO Welterweight Title with a stunning knockout win against Jin Sasaki in Japan. The fifth-round stoppage is seen as a contender for KO of the year. The victory took his record to 28-0, with 22 KOs to his name. Norman Jr. had been chasing a fight with Jaron Ennis, but the latter’s decision to move up to junior middleweight rules that out. 

Haney’s Problems

The match-up poses dangers for Haney. Norman Jr. has 22 KOs from his 28 wins, while Haney’s record stands at 15 KOs from 32 fights. Haney’s last knockout was back in 2019 when he stopped Zaur Abdullaev. Norman Jr. also possesses KO power with both hands. The Sasaki stoppage showed his power with the left hook, but his right hand was also on display. 

Norman Jr. has no fear of staying in the pocket and engaging on the inside. This poses Haney problems, as the Garcia fight showed. Once Ryan closed the gap and let his hands go, he dropped Haney three times with the left hook being a serious weapon, a shot that Norman Jr. also possess. 

Haney will also face pressure to be more attacking. The Saudis have said their focus is to do away with fighters running, meaning Haney may have no choice but to fight on the front foot if he wants to secure the big Saudi fights. And given that Norman Jr. is willing to take a shot to land his own, it could spell trouble for Haney. However, Bill Haney wants that fight next.

“You had one hell of a hellacious knockout down there in Japan against a formidable and game opponent, but you guys lived off social media against ‘Boots’ Ennis, and you were looking for him … ‘Devo’ [Devin] didn’t like that energy, so now that you’ve been disappointed by ‘Boots,’ we’ve got to fight. He [Norman] would be getting everything he could want and ask for. If not, then shut up and get out of our way,” Bill Haney said