Devin Haney: Crossroads against Brian Norman? Boxer analysis.

Devin Haney: At a Crossroads in His Career?

Devin Haney’s career, former undisputed lightweight champion, is at a crucial point. At 26 years old, his achievements contrast with those of most boxers his age. 19 months ago, Haney’s rise in boxing was disrupted by Ryan Garcia’s left hook. Haney visited the canvas three times in a fight that was ultimately declared a no-decision because Garcia failed a drug test. Although he technically did not suffer a defeat, the criticism about his status as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers was immediate. This Saturday, Haney will face another young fighter with a dangerous left hook, Brian Norman, seeking to close the chapter on what happened at the Barclays Center in April 2024.

“This fight is super important because this is a guy they say is my kryptonite. They say he has a left hook, he’s powerful, he’s big, he’s everything. So, a victory is everything for me. I will be champion again and it will put me back on top, where I once was”.

Devin Haney

Haney’s current situation is due, in part, to his reputation being affected in the last two years, with his fight against Garcia and a lackluster victory over Jose Ramirez in May. A win over Norman, the number one welterweight according to the rankings, would help divert attention from the past and put Haney back on top of another division. However, a defeat would be devastating for his career, before reaching his prime. Haney’s worst night of his career was salvaged when the decision loss to Garcia turned into a “no contest” after the latter tested positive for Ostarine, a performance-enhancing substance. Nevertheless, the image of Haney being punished by Garcia’s left hook is what everyone remembers. Now, Haney steps into the ring against a boxer who possibly has a more powerful punch than Garcia, resulting in a brave or terribly wrong decision.

“If Haney takes care of this type, then everyone will get back on the Haney train. He knows what he is doing. I just don’t know if I agree with that.”

Sergio Mora

Devin Haney, on the left, has fought, and defeated, some of the best boxers in his division, including a decision victory over Regis Prograis in December 2023. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.In recent years, Haney has dealt with a constant barrage of criticism, regardless of what he does inside the ring and who he challenges. He was labeled an “email champion” when, after Vasiliy Lomachenko chose not to fight him, Haney was promoted to full champion by the WBC in 2019. A criticism that, according to Mora, is unjustified. As a decorated and undefeated boxer, Haney should be the hunted. Instead, he enjoys the role of hunter.

“I practice what I preach. All I want is to fight the best boxers in the world. To everyone I’ve challenged, once they say they want to fight me, the fight happens… Many of these boxers don’t do what I do. They challenge each other to get attention and gain fame. I challenge boxers so that the fights happen”.

Devin Haney

Each time his reputation seemed to be declining, Haney has risen to the occasion with a performance that has silenced the skeptics. Whether it was the two beatings he gave Kambosos in Australia in 2022 or the perfect triumph over former champion Regis Prograis the following year, Haney has had a way of silencing the detractors.

“I don’t know and I don’t care. All I want is to keep beating the best boxers in the world. I have achieved a lot, I am still young, but I have been at the top for a while and I plan to be here for a long time. They can say whatever they want and I will keep doing what I do”.

Devin Haney

But for every fight against Kambosos and Prograis, there’s a fight against Garcia or Lomachenko that again questions his pound-for-pound status and makes people wonder if Haney is as good as he claims to be.

“People love to hate me. I don’t know what it is. Now I embrace it. What can I do? It’s me”.

Devin Haney

Teofimo López, Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, Ryan García, and Devin Haney. Illustration by ESPN.Outside the ring, Haney is bold and flashy. And although he is a technically sound boxer, he is not necessarily exciting inside the ring, something that has drawn comparisons to the great Floyd Mayweather. But that style depends heavily on winning and staying undefeated. Former welterweight champion Shawn Porter believes that the way Haney projects himself to the public is not consistent with his performances in the ring. Haney was named part of the “Four Kings” of this era, along with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Teofimo López, and García (with Shakur Stevenson also lurking). Their collective rise drew a parallel with the legendary quartet of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, and Roberto Durán, whose Hall of Fame careers overlapped their physical primes in the 1980s. Unfortunately, this era’s quartet hasn’t lived up to the motif like their predecessors, who fought each other over the years. To date, Haney has only fought García. Furthermore, the “Four Kings” had distinctive qualities that made them stand out. For all that Haney has achieved, there is no description that can be attributed to the young champion. It’s not the defensive wizard that Stevenson is, nor does it possess the debilitating power of Davis. It doesn’t have the reflexes and brilliant counterpunching of López, and it can’t match the hand speed of García. It’s “straight and direct, no special effects”, as Mayweather would say. A jack-of-all-trades and master of none. However, what doesn’t necessarily stand out at first glance is exactly what makes Haney unique. Haney was the heavy favorite to beat Garcia, but he fell victim to mind games, courtesy of Garcia’s behavior before the fight. Although his opponent didn’t make weight and was later caught for PEDs, Haney wasn’t prepared for the one thing everyone knew Garcia was going to throw: the left hook.

“Not knowing how to prepare properly became his worst enemy, along with his ego. He has all these tools and instinctively knows what to do. But, what happens when those instincts don’t work? What happens when the basic game plan doesn’t work or when he goes against his instincts and fights outside the game plan? Greatness is about going further, and I don’t know if he has it in him”.

Shawn Porter

Mora believes Haney is still “shaken” by the fight with Garcia and is “afraid of getting hit,” a terrible combination for a fight with a big puncher like Norman. But that danger is what Haney said excites him about his next fight. Haney is not one to shy away from challenges, and the fight with Garcia taught him a valuable lesson about himself.

“You don’t know if a boxer can take a punch until he actually takes it and you don’t know the heart of a boxer until it’s tested. And when my chin and my heart were tested, I showed up. I got up off the floor, not once, not twice, but three times. And I answered. I didn’t run. I fought like a warrior, and if I was going out that night, I was going out with my shield”.

Devin Haney

Devin Haney was knocked down three times by Ryan Garcia in April 2024. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images.Mora and Porter disagree on whether Saturday’s fight is a crucial fight for Haney. Mora does not believe that a defeat will erase everything Haney achieved, while Porter believes that the way Haney decides to fight Norman will determine how he will be perceived in the future. Both agree that, although a victory would take the monkey off his back, the risk may outweigh the reward.

“What you don’t want to do is give people more fuel to criticize you. If Norman shakes it up but wins, there will still be questions. It has to be great, almost perfect.”

Sergio Mora

Porter praises Haney for getting in the ring with a dangerous champion who is not very well known when he could have opted for a more accessible opponent. But choosing a more accessible rival is simply not the way Haney operates. Instead of running from danger, he prefers to face it head-on and see what it has to offer.

“Many people fear the unknown. What if they hit me? What am I going to do? Well, the world knows what I’m going to do. I know what I’m going to do. It’s like a weight off my shoulders, just knowing that I am able to get up when I’m on the ground and knowing that I have a chin. The way I beat Brian Norman, I think a lot of people are going to have to give me credit for it”.

Devin Haney

And if they don’t, he will keep pursuing greatness to prove them wrong, because that’s simply the way Devin Haney is.