Haney Conquers Welterweight: Three-time World Champion After Defeating Norman Jr.

Devin Haney has answered the doubts surrounding him in the last 18 months in the best possible way, with a resounding victory on Saturday. Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) became a three-division world champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by defeating Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) by unanimous decision, obtaining the WBO welterweight championship. The judges scored the 147-pound fight with cards of 117-110, 116-111, and 114-113 in favor of Haney. This was Haney’s first official appearance at 147 pounds, as his last fight was at an agreed weight of 144 pounds. This victory marks a kind of resurgence in Haney’s career, who faced questions about his ability to withstand punches and avoid elite left hooks, as well as his adaptation to weight gain, especially after being knocked down three times in a majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia in April 2024. Although that loss became a “no decision” after Garcia tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, doubts about Haney’s resilience and mentality persisted.

In 2024, I lost everything. Everything fell apart. In 2025, I came to get it back. In 2026, I’m going for everything.

Devin HaneyHaney demonstrated his willingness to take punches from one of the division’s strongest punchers, Norman, and also demonstrated his ability to hit hard at this weight. He used his right hand to knock down Norman in the second round and never looked back. His jab caused problems for Norman throughout the night, and surprised many observers by deciding to stand his ground and connect effective control hooks. Norman, who starred in a “Knockout of the Year” contender earlier this year against Jin Sasaki, was never able to match Haney’s speed or ring control. He managed to have some success in the middle rounds, trying to force a more physical fight, but consistently had no answer to Haney’s jab. His nose bled profusely from the second round, and his left eye began to swell in the final rounds.

The victory opens up a world of options for Haney, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. His father, Bill Haney, did not want to mention a possible name immediately after the fight, but a rematch with Garcia would undoubtedly be the most prominent. Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) has also moved up to welterweight since his fight with Haney. He lost to Rolando Romero by unanimous decision in a fight for the vacant WBA welterweight title in May. If Garcia had won, the rematch with Haney would probably have been set.

We are facing everyone who shows up. [Welterweight] is a weight category where I was supposed to be for a long time. My father has been telling me that I needed to gain weight for a long time. I’m here to stay at 147 for a long time.

Devin Haney