Devin Haney can’t escape the images. No matter what the record books say, the clips of Ryan Garcia dropping him three times last April continue to follow him. The official result was overturned to a no contest after Garcia tested positive for PEDs but the viral knockdowns remain a lingering storyline as Devin Haney prepares to make his welterweight debut.
On Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the former two-division champion steps into the ring against unbeaten WBO welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jr. on the “Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card. And Haney insists the version of himself that went down against Garcia simply doesn’t exist at 147.
“My Punch Resistance Will Be Much Better at 147”
For Devin Haney, the move up isn’t just strategic it’s necessary.
“My punch resistance will be much better at 147,” Haney said on Inside The Ring. “I was cutting down, killing myself to make 140 and 135. I’ll be at 147 for a while. This will be my best weight class.”
Haney (32-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) believes being fully fueled, not depleted, will allow him to absorb shots better, deliver sharper power, and perform more naturally. And he’s not easing into the division he’s aiming straight for the top.
“I want to fight the best fighters in the world, and I think Norman is the best guy at 147. There is no better way to take over the division than to fight the best guy.”
Haney enters this title challenge after a lackluster win over Jose Ramirez in May, where he boxed cautiously and appeared reluctant to engage during a 144-pound catchweight bout.
Meanwhile, Brian Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC) has been wreaking havoc since hitting championship distance:
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KO7 Giovani Santillan
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TKO9 Derrieck Cuevas
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KO5 Jin Sasaki (in Japan)
Norman’s violent run has earned him the No. 1 spot in The Ring’s welterweight rankings.
Yet Haney remains unmoved.
“He did what he was supposed to do against that level of opposition,” Haney said. “I didn’t even know who Sasaki was until Brian knocked him out.”
Haney did acknowledge Norman’s power before quickly dismissing any suggestion he can’t handle it.
“I give him credit. But I am on a whole different level. I am levels above him, and I will show.”
“I Feel Stronger and More of My Natural Self”
A behind-the-scenes look at Haney’s Denver training camp reveals a fighter who believes the weight cut, not the opponent, was his biggest enemy at 135 and 140.
“I’d been killing myself to make the smaller weight classes, training three times a day,” Haney said. “I’m just a naturally bigger guy. I feel so much better this camp… I feel stronger and more of my natural self. It’s the strongest I have ever felt.”
This time, Haney says his camp was built for performance not survival.
“Training camp now is strictly on skill, getting better, and recovery. It used to be weight-loss camps and overworking myself. It was mostly willpower. Now it’s smoother.”
The Mission: Become a Champion Again
For Haney, November 22 is about reclaiming his status and proving his ceiling is far higher than his critics believe.
“We came, we saw, we conquered. I’m prepared to be 100 percent, I’m looking forward to being a champion again. I’m going to be the best that I can be on November 22.”
The trauma of the Garcia knockdowns is something he’ll carry. The version of Devin Haney that absorbed them, he insists, is something he left behind.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
