Boxing
Haney will “take out” Norman Jr., says Isley’s sparring partner
Published
5 months agoon
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.
Last update: 21/10/2025
You may like
Boxing
Tyson Fury doubts whether the judges will give him victory over Oleksandr Usyk
Published
2 hours agoon
March 11, 2026
“I won the third fight,” Fury told Gareth A. Davies. “But the thing is, I know if he gets up at the end of the fight, I’m not going to make a decision. For me, it’s like, I might as well give him the fight before we even start boxing. Give him a W and I’ll give him an L.”
Usyk defeated Fury twice in 2024 in hard-fought championship fights that decided the undisputed heavyweight title. The Ukrainian’s victories transformed the division and left Fury trying to rebuild momentum in the final stage of his career.
When the discussion turned to the scoring of these fights, Fury made it clear that he still viewed the outcome differently from the official verdicts.
“And like I said, I thought I won that fight,” Fury said. “But you know what he did? That’s someone else’s opinion again.”
Fury’s comments suggest that from his perspective the debate surrounding these fights remains unresolved. Instead of treating the defeats as decisive setbacks, the former champion still doubts whether a third meeting would have produced a different outcome on the scorecards.
This lingering doubt keeps the trilogy discussion alive even as the heavyweight landscape moves forward with other matchups. Fury has talked about returning to winning form and then fighting main fights again, but his comments show that the controversy surrounding Usyk’s decision has not abated.
For Fury, the conclusion remains the same: if he doesn’t stop Usyk, he doubts the judges would award him the victory.
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most essential fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
Boxing
The 0-40 with 36 KO heavyweight division returns under a up-to-date name, now 0-43
Published
4 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
World Boxing News first reported on Dominican fighter Alexis Rafael Castillo Sanchez after he set one of the most remarkable records in current boxing by losing his first 40 professional fights, 36 of them by knockout.
At that point, it seemed like the story was over. Castillo Sanchez’s career appeared to be over in 2018 after a long string of losses that spanned over a decade in the sport.
However, official fight records show that the boxer later returned to the ring under a completely different name in his 40s.
Since then, Castillo Sanchez has competed as Alexis de la Cruz Shephard, adding three more attacks to improve a record that was 0-40 when the case was first reviewed by WBN.
All three bouts ended in consecutive stoppage defeats, bringing the overall score to 0-43, with 39 losses by knockout.
For two of these latter defeats, there are no confirmed match stoppage details in the official records, meaning the exact moment or method of the knockout was never formally documented.
Name change
The change makes the situation even more unusual.
The boxer, previously known as Alexis Rafael Castillo Sanchez, has appeared on recent fight lists as Alexis de la Cruz Shephard, which is a significant change from the name under which he was recorded earlier in his career.
World Boxing News determined the career continued after reviewing opponents’ recent records, where matching biographical details ultimately revealed the same fighter was competing again years after the original report.
Latest fights
The three additional fights occurred between 2022 and 2024, during which time Shephard was competing between the ages of 45 and 47, according to records.
In April 2022, Shephard lost by TKO to Dario Duran Gonzalez in Moncion. Four months later, he returned to Monte Plata, where he suffered another defeat in the second round against Emille Gonzalez Lopez.
His last appearance was on December 18, 2024 in Santo Domingo, where Shephard was stopped in the opening round by Omar Alexander Rivera Cerda after suffering a shoulder injury.
Each fight followed a familiar pattern from the earlier part of his career, which had already seen dozens of early finals.
An extraordinary record
When WBN first considered the case, Castillo Sanchez’s record was already distinguished by the huge number of losses due to stoppages and the length of the series.
The fighter started his career in 2007 and competed in many weight classes before finally moving up to heavyweight.
During this period, he faced a wide range of opponents, from first-time prospects to seasoned professionals, rarely lasting beyond the early rounds.
Additional fights recorded under the pseudonym Alexis de la Cruz Shephard extended this streak even further, creating one of current boxing’s strangest records.
Time will tell if his career will last beyond 0-43.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Boxing
Rolly Romero only sees one winner in Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao 2
Published
4 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
WBA welterweight world champion Rolando Romero presented his prediction for Floyd Mayweather’s rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
Two pound-for-pound legends will face off at the Sphere in Las Vegason September 19, and their second meeting was the highlight of a live event on Netflix.
Their first meeting, which ended with Mayweather winning by unanimous decision, took place in 2015 and became the most lucrative boxing gala of all time.
By then, former multi-division world champions were already considered to be past their prime, and Pacquiao in particular no longer had the speed and ferocity for which he had always been known.
It must be admitted, however, that the Filipino has played eight professional matches since their first meeting, and his last assignment was in July against Mario Barrios.
And despite a nearly four-year layoff following his loss to Yordenis Ugas, Pacquiao was able to hold a controversial draw against the then-WBC welterweight champion.
Meanwhile, Mayweather hasn’t fought professionally since a 10th-round victory over Conor McGregor in 2017, but his dominant victory over “Pac Man” more than two years earlier led many to predict a similar result in the rematch.
One of them is Romero, who told “The Last Stand” podcast. that he cannot see Pacquiao, at the age of 47, making any drastic changes to his original performance.
“Floyd wins. And whatever happens, happens. It was meant to be. Whoever God wants to win, will win.”
“But what would be the difference [to] first fight? Was there really anything else Pacquiao could have had? [done]?”
Mayweather, now 49, has competed in a series of exhibition matches since his victory over McGregor, but now he is preparing to put his 50-0 record on the line.
Tyson Fury doubts whether the judges will give him victory over Oleksandr Usyk
The 0-40 with 36 KO heavyweight division returns under a up-to-date name, now 0-43
Rolly Romero only sees one winner in Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao 2
Trending
-
Opinions & Features1 year agoPacquiao vs marquez competition: History of violence
-
MMA1 year agoDmitry Menshikov statement in the February fight
-
Results1 year agoStephen Fulton Jr. becomes world champion in two weight by means of a decision
-
Results1 year agoKeyshawn Davis Ko’s Berinchyk, when Xander Zayas moves to 21-0
-
Video1 year agoFrank Warren on Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin – ‘I THOUGHT OTTO WOULD GIVE DEREK PROBLEMS!’
-
Analysis11 months agoRobert Garcia discusses the debate on the greatest Mexican warrior in history
-
Video1 year ago‘DEREK CHISORA RETIRE TONIGHT!’ – Anthony Yarde PLEADS for retirement after WALLIN
-
Results1 year agoLive: Catterall vs Barboza results and results card



