Devin Haney is the new WBO welterweight champion. On the strength of a definitive second-round knockdown and dominant jab through a little more than half the fight, Haney secured a unanimous-decision win over Brian Norman Jr.
Haney landed a powerful check left hook that hurt Norman in the second frame. When the latter was dazed, Haney followed it up with a crushing right hand that dropped Norman. Here is a look at the knockdown.
While Norman got to his feet, he spent the remainder of the round and most of the next two frames regaining his wherewithal. From the fifth round on, Norman made the fight interesting.
Haney seemed to slow down through the fight until the 12th when he emerged for the final round with more juice than Norman. Haney’s performance in the round was the difference in the fight on one judge’s scorecard. Judge Mike Fitzgerald scored the fight 114-113 for Haney. That was the exact score I had scoring the fight.
I thought Haney and Norman both won six rounds apiece and the difference in the fight was the knockdown.
In the rounds Haney won, and even in the ones Norman claimed on my card, the former’s jab kept the latter at bay. The punch made Norman’s success a little quieter than Haney’s, thus the scorecards from Leszek Jankowiak (116-111) and Gerardo Martinez (117-110).
After the scorecards were read, Norman—whose face looked worse for wear—had no issues with the judges’ decision. By far, this was Haney’s best performance since he dominated Regis Prograis in December 2023.
Norman looked too slow, and his lack of head movement was his biggest problem. Haney’s up jab was landing with the consistency of the sunrise. Norman’s upper body stayed far too stationary, and it made it difficult for him to close the distance for stretches.
When he did have success, Haney was able to escape without allowing the hard puncher to stack the damage.
What’s next for Haney? Conor Benn was on hand, and he could be eyeing an opportunity against Haney for the WBO title. Benn said he was unimpressed with Haney’s performance, but there is no question the two stars could headline a huge card in 2026.
