Devin Haney already has his safety valve backup option in case things don’t work out with Brian Norman Jr. next month in Riyadh on Turki Alalshikh’s loaded card on November 22. He revealed his five-fighter wish list of dream fights he believes could happen for him.
Target the Young Guns
Interestingly, Haney (32-0, 16 KOs). combing the lightweight division for prospects, who are looking for younger, smaller fighters rather than those of his own size at 154 and 160. However, it is a good idea for him to plan if his fight with WBO welterweight champion Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) blow up in his face in 23 days. Having backup options against other fighters for a rebuild is an excellent idea.
Lightweights on his radar
“You did Abdullah Mason,” Devin Haney told the assembled media today about the 135-pound Abdullah Mason being a possible future fight for him. “You have (lightweight) Curmel (Moton). These are young guys coming up. I see them in the rear view. So, I don’t think that I’m too big because I’ve been in their position before. So, I know they’re on the rise.”
Those two fighters are pretty young, and it wouldn’t be fair to them if Haney picks them before they get a little older. Mason is only 21 and is just starting to cut his teeth on solid opposition. Cumel Moton is 19 and is small for the lightweight division at 5’4″. Asking him to fight at welterweight would be a crime. He is too small to fight in that division without going through a growth spurt to gain some height/
“You never know. One day it might be a big fight with one of those guys,” Haney said.
If the bottom falls out of Devin’s career with him being beaten by Norman Jr., and other welterweights, he will not be useful to the lightweights as mentioned above that he is looking at. By the time they move up to welterweight, Haney could be at the journeyman stage if his career sinks.
Vulture strategy?
It would be more beneficial for Haney to focus on more realistic targets in his own weight class at welterweight rather than being vulture-liketargeting weakened and vulnerable younger opponents.
“Xander Zayas at 154,” Bill Haney said, naming a future target for Haney if and when he moves up to junior middleweight against WBO champion Zayas.
Paper Champion Select
Even 23-year-old Xander Zayas is low-level prey. He is considered the weakest link among the champions at 154 and is a classic example of a paper champion. It is unsportsmanlike for Haney to single him out as an easy belt to snatch.
If Devin is going to move up to junior middleweight, he needs to show some courage by facing one of these fighters:
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
- Vergil Ortiz Jr.
- Sebastian Fundora
- Abass Baraou
- Erickson Lubin
- Israel Madrimov
“Emiliano, he’s coming up,” Haney said of light welterweight contender Emiliano Vargas. “There are so many big fights that could materialize.
Emiliano Vargas is 21 and hasn’t fought anyone during his short three-year professional career. There are many question marks over whether Emiliano has the talent to beat quality opposition. We know he can beat tomato cans, but can he handle world-class opposition? It is doubtful.
Last updated on 30/10/2025
