Devin Haney says his doubters who claim he can’t punch will “see” in his fight in three weeks against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr., if he can or not at 147 on November 22, 2025.
Haney vs. Norman Jr. will be fighting in the co-feature on the David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde card at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will be shown live on DAZN PPV.
Haney (32-0, 16 KOs) states that his sparring for the fight has shown “how sharp” he is. Interestingly, one of his two sparring partners, Elijah Flores, is picking Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) to defeat him. That says something.
Norman Jr.’s Team Smells Weakness
The other one, middleweight Troy Isley, said Haney “is not the biggest knockout puncher.” Norman’s father, Brian Norman Sr., had a field day discussing that comment. It’s unlikely that Haney’s punching power will be any different than his 144-lb catchweight fight against Jose Ramirez on May 2, 2025, at Times Square in New York.
Haney Feels Free After Leaving 140 Behind
“I feel great [moving up to 147]. I think I’ll go up again. Maybe 160,” said Devin Haney to Ariel Helwani’s channel about how he feels moving up to the full weight of the welterweight division for his fight against Brian Norman Jr. in three weeks on November 22nd.
As drained as Haney looked in his two fights at 140 against Ryan Garcia and Regis Prograis, it’s not surprising that he says he’s feeling “great” at 147. He should have moved up to welterweight years ago, as he’s been rumored to have been rehydrating to the 160s since his days at lightweight. He should have been at welterweight or junior middleweight a long time ago.
“I plan on being here for a while [147]. Like I said, I feel great. I’m way more happier. My sparring has been showing how sharp I am, how much stronger I am. They say I can’t punch. So, at 147, we’ll see,” said Haney.
Can He Take as Well as He Gives?
It’s too early for Devin to say if he’s going to be at 147 for “a while” because if he gets knocked out by Norman Jr. and other fighters at welterweight, he’s going to be desperate to make a move to save his career. He’s going to have to do something.
“They say I can’t take a punch. People say a lot. They forget about the Ryan Garcia fight. I got up three times. What does that mean that you can’t take a punch that you get up?” said Devin.