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

Devin Haney has silenced the doubts that surrounded him in the last 18 months, responding forcefully in the ring last Saturday. Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) became a three-division world champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after defeating Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) by unanimous decision, claiming the WBO welterweight championship. The judges scored the cards 117-110, 116-111, and 114-113 in favor of Haney in the 147-pound title fight. This was Haney’s first official appearance at 147 pounds, given that his previous fight was contested at a catchweight of 144 pounds. This victory represents a resurgence for Haney, who faced questions about his ability to withstand punches and avoid the elite left hook, as well as doubts about his adaptation to the weight increase, after being knocked down three times in a majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia in April 2024. Although the defeat was transformed into a “no decision” after Garcia tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, the questions about Haney’s resilience and mentality persisted.

In 2024, I lost everything. Everything collapsed on me. In 2025, I came to get it back. In 2026, I’m going for everything.

Devin Haney

Haney demonstrated not only a willingness to take punches, but also to deliver his own in this weight category. In the second round, he sent Norman to the canvas with a right hand, and from then on, he maintained control. His jab caused constant problems for Norman throughout the night, and surprised many by standing in the center of the ring and connecting effective counter hooks. Norman, who starred in a “Knockout of the Year” candidate earlier in the year against Jin Sasaki, never managed to match Haney’s speed or ring dominance. Although he had some moments of success in the intermediate rounds by attempting a more physical fight, he found 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 range of possibilities for Haney, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. His father, Bill Haney, did not 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. Haney stated: “We’re going to face everyone.” And he added: “Welterweight is a category I should have been in for a long time. My father told me I needed to move up in weight a long time ago. I’m here to stay at 147 for a long time.”