Six months after he was universally blasted for “running” his way to a win over Jose Ramirez, Devin Haney now runs the welterweight division. Haney looked sharp, strong, and locked-in in his first fight at the full 147-pound limit on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, dropping big puncher Brian Norman Jr. and outboxing him over 12 rounds to claim the WBO welterweight title on “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card at ANB Arena.
Haney won by unanimous decision, with scores of:
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114–113 (Mike Fitzgerald)
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116–111 (Leszek Jankowiak)
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117–110 (Gerry Martinez)
With the victory, the former undisputed lightweight king and junior welterweight titlist is now a three-weight world champion, and did it against a man many regarded as the most dangerous puncher at 147.
“In 2024, I lost everything. Everything came crashing down on me,” Haney told DAZN’s Claudio Trejos in the ring. “In 2025, I came to get it back. In 2026, I’m coming for everything.”
A Very Different Devin Haney
There was nothing “running” about this version of Haney.
Criticized heavily for an overly cautious, movement-heavy performance in his 12-round win over Jose Ramirez at a 144-pound catchweight in Times Square back in May, Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) made a clear effort to change the narrative. Against Norman, he:
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Stood in front of his opponent far more often
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Let his hands go in combination
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Trusted his chin and physical strength at 147
He still used clinches strategically especially in the second half but the tone was different. This was a composed, assertive Haney, not a safety-first track star.
Norman (28-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC), who entered as The Ring’s No. 1 welterweight contender and a highlight-reel knockout artist, found out early that Haney could punch at the new weight, too.
The Knockdown That Set the Tone
Round 1 saw both fighters probing. Norman even tried to replay Ryan Garcia’s success, whipping a left hook similar to the one that dropped Haney early in their fight. This time, he missed though he did close the round by landing a stiff jab that backed Haney up.
In Round 2, Haney took over. Less than a minute into the frame, a check left hook from Haney buckled Norman’s legs. Moments later, Haney followed with a clean right hand that dropped Norman to one knee with just over 1:20 left in the round.
Norman beat referee Ricky Gonzalez’s count, but he was clearly hurt and bleeding from the nose. He tied Haney up and survived to the bell, but the message had been delivered: the supposed bigger puncher could be hurt, and Haney’s power carried up just fine.
Adjustments, Resistance, and a Champion’s Grit
Norman didn’t fold. After the knockdown, he adjusted, applied smarter pressure, and worked his way back into the fight in spots.
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In Round 3, he landed a left hook that made Haney retreat and clinch.
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In Round 4, Haney re-established control behind a hard jab and sharp left hooks that kept Norman honest.
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In Round 5, Haney tagged Norman clean with a right hand.
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In Round 6, Norman backed Haney into the ropes with body shots before Haney tied him up and reset in center ring.
The middle rounds became a tug of war between Norman’s aggression and Haney’s craft. Norman kept stalking, looking for the kind of shot that had delivered “Knockout of the Year” chatter when he starched Jin Sasaki. But Haney’s defense, clinch game, and ring IQ limited Norman’s clean success.
Haney acknowledged afterward that he had to adapt mid-fight.
“He came out exactly how we planned, so I was able to capitalize,” Haney said. “But after I hurt him and dropped him, he made an adjustment, so then we had to adjust to that as well. But he’s a true champion. He’s definitely better than I expected. I thank him for the opportunity. He gave me the opportunity to become champion again.”
Down the Stretch: Control, Not Chaos
In the later rounds, Haney managed the fight with veteran composure.
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In Round 7, a left to the side of Norman’s head forced him to reset.
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In Round 8, a hard right from Norman made Haney grab hold, but he otherwise defended well as his own offense dipped slightly.
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In Rounds 10 and 11, neither man landed many flush shots. Norman was the aggressor, but couldn’t find the punch he needed to turn the tide.
By then, Norman’s face told the story. He’d been bleeding from the nose for most of the fight and had noticeable swelling around his right eye. The man who had been flattening opponents at world level was now being systematically outboxed and physically managed over 12 rounds.
Norman entered the 12th needing a knockout. Instead, the final stanza turned into a scrappy, clinch-heavy frame with little sustained action. Haney did what seasoned champions do: protected his lead, avoided unnecessary risks, and saw the finish line.
When the final bell rang, Haney climbed the ropes and celebrated. He knew what the scorecards were going to say.
Redemption at 147
Norman loses his WBO belt and suffers the first defeat of his career on the eve of his 25th birthday, dropping a title he’d won by stopping Giovani Santillan in San Diego in May 2024. He’ll remain a threat in the division his power and toughness are undeniable but Saturday was Haney’s night.
For Devin Haney, this was more than just another belt.
It was:
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A reintroduction after the Ryan Garcia no-contest and the fallout from that fight
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A rebuttal to claims that he’s “boring” or “too cautious”
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A statement that his skills, durability, and power can hang with real welterweights
In a sport that tried to write him off after one bad night and one controversial year, Haney just became a three-weight world champion and took out the division’s biggest puncher in his first official fight at 147. If 2024 was the year “everything came crashing down,” as he said, 2025 might be the year Devin Haney rebuilds it all and then some.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
