Devin Haney says if he was “shell-shocked” like some people believe, why is he fighting WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. on November 22? Norman (28-0, 22 KOs) is considered to be the hardest puncher at 147, and some fans view him as the best fighter in the weight class.
Answering the “Shell-Shocked” Claims
“If I’m so shell-shocked, then why am I fighting a guy like Brian Norman? He’s the biggest puncher at 147, right? It’s hard for me to really rate him, because I don’t know any of the guys he beat,” said Devin Haney to Ring Champs. “The guy he fought last [Jin Sasaki], I never heard of him.”
Turki Alalshikh’s Matchmaking
Turki Alalshikh was the one who announced the Norman Jr. vs. Haney fight. So, it would be logical to assume that it was he who asked Devin to fight Norman Jr. for his WBO 147-lb title. He paid Haney a lot of money for his last fight against Jose Ramirez on May 2, 2025, on the Fatal Fury card at Times Square in New York.
Haney was widely criticized for his performance against Ramirez, as he chose to move around the ring for 12 rounds, rarely engaging and fighting in a safety-first manner. After that performance, it makes sense that Haney would readily agree if Turki asked him to fight Norman Jr. How could he say no?
As far as Haney’s “Shell-shocked” comment, that’s what some fans said in noting how timid he appeared in the Ramirez fight. They surmise that Haney was traumatized from the beating he took at the hands of Ryan Garcia. He’s lost his nerve and was afraid to stand and trade. It’s hard not to see Devin as a shell-shocked vet with the shakes, afraid to get back on the frontline after weeks of being bombarded with artillery.
“If you put Teofimo in with those guys, he’d do the same thing [as Norman Jr.]. He’s the best guy at 147 right now,” said Haney about Brian Jr.
It’s possible that Teofimo would beat everyone that Norman Jr. has faced, but that still doesn’t mean he or Devin would beat Norman Jr. If Lopez thought he could defeat him, he would have fought him by now because they were, for a time, both promoted by Top Rank.
Can Devin Handle the Power?
Weak resume or not, the eye test shows that Norman Jr. is a huge puncher with either hand. He’s dangerous for anyone in the welterweight division, particularly Devin, with how he was hurt repeatedly by Ryan Garcia last year on April 20, 2024. If Norman Jr. lands the same kind of shots on Haney that he did in his last fight against Jin Sasaki, the chances are he’s going to knock him out.
Norman Jr’s recent opponents
Jin Sasaki
Derrieck Cuevas
Giovani Santillan
Janelson Figueroa Bocachica