Devin Haney stepped into the ring on May 2nd in Times Square against Jose Ramirez, expecting a high-profile rematch with Ryan Garcia down the road. But what he likely didn’t anticipate was that his path would shift dramatically in the next few hours, leading him toward a showdown with WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr.

Ryan Garcia’s shocking unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero on the same May 2nd card derailed the highly anticipated matchup, forcing Haney to look elsewhere to keep his momentum going. His next target? WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez. Talks nearly led to a deal, but Lopez ultimately withdrew due to personal reasons. With plans scrapped once again, Haney is now moving up a weight class to take on Norman Jr.—thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, who managed to negotiate a deal between the two. GEA Chairman Turki Alalshikh confirmed the same on X, writing, “In November in Riyadh, Brian Norman Jr will defend his welterweight title versus Devin Haney on a Riyadh Season card. More exciting surprises to come.”

Soon after, Devin Haney shared a five-word message for Norman Jr. “3 division champion.. November InshaAllah,” Haney wrote on X. Notably, ‘The Dream’ has held titles in the lightweight and super lightweight divisions. He was the undisputed lightweight champion and WBC super lightweight champion. Although November has been touted as the fight date, a specific day has not been revealed yet. 

The potential fight is touted to become the next big attraction in the welterweight division after updates revealed Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is moving up to junior middleweight, effectively dropping his IBF and WBA welterweight titles in the process. Meanwhile, Norman Jr.’s destructive 5th-round knockout win over Jin Sasaki in Japan earlier this month has elevated excitement about his future in the sport, making it the perfect time for the former undisputed lightweight champion to challenge him for his WBO title. In the meantime, Norman Jr.’s promoter has revealed what the future looks like for the 24-year-old.

Brian Norman Jr. crowned welterweight king ahead of the Devin Haney fight

Norman Jr. wasn’t always the star Top Rank had hoped he would become, but now that he has, boss Bob Arum can’t be happier about it. Once viewed with uncertainty by Top Rank after underwhelming early performances and a no-contest against Janelson Bocachica, Norman has silenced critics. 

Coming out of hand surgeries and a period of growth, he made a mark for himself with a stunning performance against Sasaki. “He fought brilliantly,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I think he’s the king of the welterweights now.” With Ennis gone, Arum believes the 24-year-old is destined for greatness.

“He’s very composed and there’s no welterweight that hits as hard as he does,” Arum added.

That said, Devin Haney has a lot to prove with his next fight against Brian Norman Jr. However, according to Bob Arum’s claims, it might not be as easy as typing out a five-word promise on social media. Do you think Devin Haney can beat Brian Norman Jr.?