Devin Haney’s win over what some fans considered the #1 fighter at 147, WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr., last Saturday temporarily made Haney the top fighter in the division.
Norman Jr. was not the test
There are five welterweights in the division that Haney will have to do a lot more than move and hold to defeat. While the clinch-heavy game plan what Devin vs. Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) used, was effective, that strategy would not be effective against the top top predators in the division.
It takes more than sticking to beat these five:
- Ryan Garcia
- Karen Chukhadjian
- Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero
- Shakhram Giyasov
- Jack Catterall
There is an excellent chance that all five of those contenders would find a solution if Devin chose to use the exact blueprint for the Norman Jr. fight against them. They are older than Brian Jr, and it takes more than diving forward to hold on to defeat these welterweights.
“No fighter can beat me on a level playing field,” Haney said after his win over Norman Jr. last saturday He added that he was “levels above him,” even though the contest saw very little action due to the hold Devin used.
Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) didn’t look like gold last Saturday, and Norman jr. beat by a 12-round unanimous decision with scores of 114-113, 116-111 and 117-110.
What we can say is that Haney was better than Norman Jr., but that’s all we know for sure. He neutralized his offense by holding all night, but looked nothing like a #1 fighter in the division with that win.
Garcia’s left hook problem
In Devin’s loss to Ryan on April 20, 2024, he held very early and was clipped in round seven when he tried to grab him for a pinfall. If Haney uses jabs in a second fight with Garcia, it could get him in trouble. Kingry’s short, quick left hook is the perfect weapon for a fighter who frequently holds like Haney does.
Until Devin cleans up the division, all we can say is that he’s one of the sixth best fighters at 147. If some of the fighters move up from the 140-lb division, he might not even be in the top 10. There are now some real talents at 140 that will quickly figure out Haney’s fighting style and dominate him. If all he can do is stick and throw 70 punches a fight, he’s not going to beat the top guys.
The 140 Sharks Waiting
- Keyshawn Davis
- Teofimo Lopez
- Emiliano Vargas
- Subriel Matias
- Alberto Puello
- Jamaine Ortiz
- Ernesto Mercado
- Richardson Hitchins
- Gabriel Valenzuela
Last updated on 24/11/2025
