Tim Bradley changed his prediction from previously favoring WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. to knock out Devin Haney in their main support fight scheduled for November 22 in Riyad.
Tim says Haney (32-0, 16 KO) may apply a “defense first” strategy to mentally wear down Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KO) and win a points decision on the scorecards.
Haney’s defense plan
Movement
Feints
Set the pace
Ring control center
Bradley believes Haney can keep the action in the center of the ring and not allow Norman Jr. trapped him on the ropes. Using the move will prevent Norman Jr. sit on your shots to generate power.
“He will have a fight that is primarily defensive. He will try to burn Brian Norman out mentally with pre-fight moves, but he will be responsible defensively. He knows Norman will be very forceful at the beginning of the fight,” said Tim Bradley in his canalI’m talking about the Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr. fight that took place on November 22.
Norman Jr. does not fade easily
The problem with Bradley’s analysis is that Norman Jr. he showed no signs of fatigue in the later rounds. It doesn’t fade behind schedule and doesn’t lose power like some fighters. If you look at Norman’s fights with Giovani Santillan and Quinton Randall, he continued to hit demanding in the later rounds. Some of the shots he hit both players with would have been devastating for Haney.
“If Devin Haney wins this fight, he will be put on the pound-for-pound list. He joins Shakur Stevenson with three belts in three weight classes,” Bradley said.
Devin needs to commit to impress the judges
For Haney to win, he will have to face Norman Jr. because he won’t win a decision by running around like he did against Jose Ramirez at Riyadh Seadon earlier this year on May 2. Norman Jr. he will chase it down and hit demanding shots to impress the judges.
Haney won’t be able to win a decision if he keeps moving, throwing punches and holding down a lot. This was the strategy Devin used in his two fights with George Kambosos Jr and in his fights with Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez. These guys are not in the same league as Norman Jr. power-wise.
The judges will be more impressed with Norman’s demanding punches and will keep hitting him every round. Assuming Haney doesn’t break down at some point in the fight.
Ken Woods was a senior writer in Boxing News 24 since 2013, covering sports from every angle. With years of reporting from the ring, he delivers fight news, results and analysis that cuts through the noise. Ken’s work consistently focuses on champions, challengers and prospects, giving fans a piercing and well-read view of the global boxing scene.
The final decision may come after the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch drama ends.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Mayweather and Pacquiao were set to fight professionally more than 10 years after their first meeting, with the event streaming live on Netflix and taking place on September 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
In recent weeks the duel was in doubt, after Mayweather stated that the fight would instead be an exhibition, while Pacquiao continues to insist that it must be a fully sanctioned fight.
Since it is currently unknown whether this will actually come to fruition, this has probably given the clearest signal that this will no longer happen.
Conversation with FightHypepromoter Eddie Hearn said he thinks Netflix can now focus on the WBC welterweight title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, essentially replacing the Mayweather-Pacquiao event.
“It’s all a mess. I’m surprised Netflix got into this whole circus… Netflix is modern to boxing, but they need to be a little more solid in the routine because you can’t actually call the fight and it just falls by the wayside and it just doesn’t look great.”
“NO [I don’t believe it will happen]not now. Netflix is only going to do so many fights and the Benn-Garcia fight is now said to be on September 12 or whenever that happens, so obviously this is the fight to replace Mayweather-Pacquiao.
“If it happened Mayweather-Pacquiao, they are committed to that fight, but if it doesn’t happen they will want another fight and from the sound of it it will be Garcia vs. Benn.”
The world title fight between Garcia and Benn has been widely discussed this month, and if Hearn is right, it could spell the end of any hopes of Mayweather and Pacquiao fighting again.
“I think my size and youth should be a gigantic advantage. It gives me an even better chance to win,” Nakatani told The Ring.
Inoue’s reluctance to make the jump to 126 pounds at featherweight may be the most truthful admission of his physical limitations.
Inoue has fought fighters who hydrated to be hefty, but Nakatani is elevated. At 5’7″ or 5’8″, he has the skeletal leverage of a natural featherweight or super featherweight.
Most of Inoue’s opponents end up with confined time as they have to rush to hit him. Nakatani can theoretically sit outside and throw a punch without putting his chin in the red zone.
The numbers support this belief on paper. Nakatani will enter with a three-inch height advantage, a slight reach advantage and a five-year age difference. He also has natural size from climbing three weight classes, which he plans to exploit for the full distance rather than chasing an early finish.
“This fight will 100% be a war and I think I will win by decision once I overcome everything Inoue throws at me,” Nakatani said.
In his December victory over Sebastian Hernandez, Nakatani was forced into a fierce fight in which both men landed heavily, taking 273 punches in a back-and-forth fight that went the distance. He showed toughness, but also suggested he could get hit when exchanges open up.
It’s not that Inoue is afraid of fighting a bigger opponent, but more that he is a perfectionist who knows that when you lose your physical advantage, you have to rely completely on your endurance. Nakatani is the first fighter in a long time who can actually make Inoue look petite in the ring.
Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales, who is the same age as Floyd Mayweather, presented his version of the 49-year-old’s expected rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
The two pound-for-pound icons will face off in a professional competition on September 19, headlining the Netflix event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
However, their second meeting seemed to be in jeopardy after Mayweather stated last month that it would be an exhibition match.
Pacquiao and his team have since stated that it will be a fully sanctioned fight, but we are still waiting for an official announcement.
Their first meeting took place in 2015 and earned Mayweather a unanimous decision victory in an event that quickly became known as the most lucrative boxing event of all time.
But now the 47-year-old hopes to break Mayweather’s 50-0 record after ending his nearly four-year hiatus from professional boxing last July.
But while the Filipino drew with Mario Barrios, the then-WBC welterweight champion, many suggested he and Mayweather shouldn’t be entering the ring at this stage of their lives.
One of them is Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times, winning the first meeting but losing the next two. He told Fight Hub TV that the rematch would be won by the Hall of Famer who turned down the fight the least.
“We’re not at the age to get into fights. But hey, it’ll be intriguing. Whoever arrives the least injured and a little faster, [will win]”
Erik Morales Predicts Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2‼️‼️
“We’re not at the age to get into fights… This will be intriguing. Whoever wins must come to fight less hurt and a little faster!” – Erik Morales
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