Devin Haney’s sparring partner, Troy Isley, predicts he will frustrate Brian Norman Jr. with his move. and will defeat him by decision on November 22.
Isleys says Haney sometimes reminded him of Floyd Mayweather Jr. He didn’t say which version of Floyd he reminded him of.
The 5’10” middleweight Isley says Haney (32-0, 16 KO) was bigger than him during sparring sessions. This confirms what many believe, that Devin is a bully because of his weight.
“He reminded me of Floyd.”
“He’s not the greatest boxer, but punching isn’t everything,” Troy Isley said MillCity Boxing about Devin Haney sharing his thoughts after sparring with him. “It’s about skill. He did some things that reminded me of Floyd.”
It’s about power. Devin’s lack of punching power will hurt him against Norman Jr. as he won’t be able to stop him just by moving or throwing punches.
Haney doesn’t fight like Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his career. The difference in hand speed is huge. Floyd Jr. he was ready to stand in front of his opponents, block shots and counterattack.
Mayweather stopped being a fighter when he was booed during his fight with Carlos Baldomir on November 4, 2006. After that fight, Floyd became an intramural fighter for the remaining 11 years of his career before retiring in 2017. Haney has more in common with Shakur Stevenson than Mayweather.
“Devin’s a great fighter. He’s got a good jab and a lot of distance. Yes, I have,” Isley said when asked if he believed Haney was on his way to being a legend. He’s so swift. “I feel like once I start dealing with guys my weight, it’s going to be nothing,” Isley said.
Norman Jr. you can’t keep away forever
Haney’s problem is that he puts too much distance between himself and his opponents. Last May, he kept Jose Ramirez from getting close to him, treating him like a knockout artist rather than a tardy, older fighter. Devin will need to be much more committed to fighting Norman Jr. if he wants to win on November 22.
Great? Not yet. Not close
Isley calling Haney a “great fighter” is going a bit too far. Unless we lower the bar on what it means to be a “great warrior,” Devin is far from it. He barely reaches the level of a good warrior. To be good, you have to be willing to get up and fight. We haven’t seen this in any of Devin’s fights since the 2021 fight against Joseph Diaz. That was the last time he stood in the pocket and stayed there.
Isley predicted Haney “will kill him in 10 to 12 rounds,” which left Norman Jr. frustrated. He says that Devin won’t let Norman exploit his power by staying away from him. Troy predicts Haney will win by decision and will likely knock out Norman Jr.
The star fighter, who has made an astonishing 15 defenses of his welterweight world title, supported himself in a fantastic showdown with Terence Crawford.
He had previously won seven straight 147-pound world titles, all through stoppages, but he could only cement his position as top dog by dethroning Spence.
Not only did he defeat “The Truth” and win his three world titles, but Crawford secured a surprisingly one-sided defeat over nine rounds.
After that career-defining moment, the American became the undisputed three-division champion, moving up to 168 pounds to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.
However, at welterweight, Crawford managed to produce some of his best performances, perhaps striking the perfect balance between being vigorous and impressively fit.
Another man who has had considerable success at 147 pounds is, of course, Felix Trinidad, who reigned as the IBF world champion for almost seven years.
Two of his greatest victories came against Oscar De La Hoya and Pernell Whitaker, who both went on to create Hall of Fame careers in their own right.
It is therefore natural that “Tito” sees his chances in a direct fight with Crawford, saying: Fighting Hub TV that he would give “Bud” his only professional flaw.
“With all due respect to Crawford…Tito Trinidad – I will win.”
While no fighter has been able to answer Crawford’s mystery, it is equally safe and sound to say that the former five-division world champion has never faced someone like Trinidad.
Raizd announced the deal on Instagram on Monday, posting: “Official: Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramirez signs with RAIZD BOXING. World-class addition. Former WBO World Featherweight Champion. Two-time Olympic gold medalist. Welcome to the team, Robeisy.”
For a startup that is still building its name, this is a robust impulse. For everyone else, it encourages questions. There has been no evident move from Zuffa Boxing, Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions or other major teams that often pursue recognizable talent.
When a two-time Gold Medalist hits the open market and the Massive Four don’t pull the trigger. Raizd Boxing is basically a ghost ship right now. They are so modern that they haven’t even held their first event yet.
As for why the giants have stayed away, it probably comes down to a combination of time, shelf life and the ongoing business changes many of these companies are making.
At 126 pounds, 32 is on the older side. Promoters are notoriously wary of small-time fighters who have just had a career-changing break. Perhaps they would prefer to wait and see if he has anything left before signing him to an high-priced multi-fight contract.
While Dana White is finally taking action, Zuffa is aggressively targeting younger, buzz-worthy talent like Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins. Ramirez is 32 years aged and had a brutal knockout loss to Rafael Espinoza in December. Zuffa could see him as a veteran of damaged goods rather than a fundamental piece of their launch.
Ramirez may not have the same shine he had when he fled Cuba or when he beat Shakur Stevenson in the amateurs, but fighters with that kind of experience rarely hit the open market.
His recent form likely played a role. Ramirez is 14-3 with nine knockouts and has lost two of his last three fights, with both losses coming to Rafael Espinoza, including a stoppage in the rematch. At 32 years aged, he is no longer a long-term project that can be slowly developed.
Still, there is a clear advantage if handled properly. Ramirez remains a talented southpaw with the pedigree, experience and enough reputational value to quickly become relevant again at featherweight or above. If it combines wins, larger promoters may regret letting startup Raizd make the first move.
This marks the 27-year-old’s first victory since 2023, when he edged Oscar Duarte in the eighth round before his controversial fight with Devin Haney.
Despite a majority decision advantage over Haney, that result was declared a no-contest in April 2024 after “King Ry” tested positive for the banned substance ostarine.
Benn also failed a 2022 drug test ahead of his canceled fight against Chris Eubank Jr, whom he ultimately defeated in a middleweight rematch last November.
This followed a points defeat to Eubank in April 2025, although earlier this month Benn remained in the win column, ahead of Regis Prograis, who subsequently announced his retirement.
However, despite his last fight at 150 pounds, the 29-year-old now wants to capitalize on his No. 1 ranking in the WBC and fight Garcia.
I’m talking to ESNEWSformer two-division world champion Bradley gave Benn little more than a prayer against Garcia.
“Ryan knocks him out.”
As the top contender for the WBC welterweight title, Benn is expected to be ordered to fight Garcia in the not-too-distant future, even if ongoing negotiations fail.
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