Devin Haney has responded to the doubts that arose about his performance in the last 18 months, proving his worth in the ring this Saturday.
Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) was crowned world champion in three categories in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after defeating Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) by unanimous decision, winning the WBO welterweight championship.
The judges awarded the victory to Haney with scores of 117-110, 116-111, and 114-113 in the 147-pound title fight. This was Haney’s first official appearance at 147 pounds, as his previous fight was at a catchweight of 144 pounds.
This victory marks a kind of resurgence for Haney, who faced questions about his ability to withstand punches and avoid an elite left hook, as well as doubts about his adaptation to the weight increase, especially after being knocked down three times in a majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia in April 2024.
Although the loss to Garcia turned into a “no decision” after the latter tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, doubts about Haney’s stamina 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, originally from Miami, not only proved willing to take punches from one of the division’s hardest hitters, Norman, but also demonstrated his ability to attack at this weight. With a right hand, he knocked down Norman in the second round and maintained control.
His jab complicated Norman throughout the night, and surprised many observers by standing his ground and connecting effective check hooks.
Norman, who starred in a “Knockout of the Year” contender earlier this year against Jin Sasaki, never managed to match Haney’s speed or ring control. Although he had some success in the intermediate rounds, trying to force 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.Devin Haney capturó el título de peso wélter de la OMB el sábado por la noche, convirtiéndose en campeón de tres divisiones.The victory opens up a range of possibilities for Haney, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. His father, Bill Haney, did not want to mention a possible opponent 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. Had Garcia won, the rematch with Haney would probably have been set.
We are ready to face any rival. The welterweight is a category where I’m supposed to be for a long time. My father has been telling me that I needed to gain weight for a long time. I will stay at 147 pounds for a long time.
