Brian Norman Sr. questioned Devin Haney’s intelligence today, discussing how he parrots lines he learned from Floyd Mayweather Jr. and cannot think for itself.
Same lines, every fight
He notes that Haney (32-0, 16 KO) uses the same terms from fight to fight, calling himself “levels above” their opponents and labeling them “Level C.”
Norman Sr. states that Haney has a “circumscribed vocabulary” and is simply a “bot” and claims that “embarrassed” for him, because he keeps “saying the same things” in interviews.
Bill Haney had charisma
Devin’s father, Bill Haney, has spoken extensively in the past while promoting his fights. Raised in Oakland, California, Bill was naturally charismatic, someone people just wanted to listen to. Because Bill did the talking, Devin didn’t have to sell his fights because he did all the work.
For Haney’s upcoming fight against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KO) was the one who did the most talking and it felt like a curtain was being drawn to give fans an insight into his personality. Can Haney handle the buildup on its own? For now, I’d say that’s a massive advantage. NO. Norman Sr. did most of the weighty lifting in promoting the fight, generating interest with his snarky audio segments.
Norman Sr. sees a person who has little to say and repeats the same words; it’s like a broken record stuck in the same place. Is Haney’s carefully crafted image finally starting to crack in public?
Copying Floyd’s script
“All you’ve ever heard is: I’m at a higher level and I’m going to show it.’ That’s what you heard, because that’s Floyd [Mayweather] – he said and doesn’t know what else to say. It is circumscribed. He has a circumscribed vocabulary,” Brian Norman Sr. said Rize Podcastquestioning Devin Haney’s intelligence.
Wooden delivery by Devin
A good PR coach would facilitate Haney by generating up-to-date material for him to cover before the interview. Of course, this would require Devin to prepare for an interview and would involve work. Acting classes would facilitate Haney look less stiff on camera because he doesn’t seem casual during interviews. There is a stiffness to it.
Norman Sr. calls Haney a robot
“He doesn’t have the attitude that Brian Norman Jr. has. He can’t function without the mind that he learned from Floyd Mayweather. He has to move away from something that he read in a book or studied for 20 or 15 years,” Norman Sr. said of Haney. “Brian Norman Jr. has an opinion. Devin Haney doesn’t. He’s a fucking bot.
“Every fight he says, ‘I’m level. He’s level C.’ [Haney] this is embarrassing. I’m ashamed that you say “s***”. You have a whole career to pursue and you keep saying the same crap? These are not astute people. These are not astute people,” Norman Sr. said.
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Potential negotiations between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson have taken another public turn after Stevenson accused his rival of engaging in “false public negotiations” following Haney’s latest comments on social media.
Haney appeared frustrated after previously agreeing to Stevenson’s proposed catchweight of 144 pounds, suggesting that even accepting those terms did not bring the fight any closer to becoming a reality.
“144 is not enough…I still don’t want to fight! Damn…@ShakurStevenson,” Haney wrote X.
Shakur later responded by dismissing this public exchange as a impoverished reflection of how main event fights actually unfold.
“The same thing you all did with Rolly. All those counterfeit public negotiations… The real negotiations take place offline.” I am the truth that you will see when you stand before me!!” Shakur posted.
Shakiur previously considered 144 pounds to be a fair compromise in a potential showdown with Haney, who has competed at welterweight in his most recent outings. Haney then signaled his willingness to accept the catchweight offer, sparking optimism that one of boxing’s most talked-about fights could gain momentum.
The latest exchange came shortly after the WBO confirmed that Haney must either defend his welterweight title against mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis or risk losing the belt. While neither Haney nor Stevenson directly addressed the situation in their recent posts, the article did add another note to any future negotiations involving the former two-division world champions.
With Haney facing a WBO title decision and Shakur insisting that stern negotiations will take place behind closed doors, the pressure is now on both camps to determine whether the fight can go beyond an online exchange.
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Shakur Stevenson maintained his predictions for the Errol Spence Jr vs. Tim Tszyu fight, believing that one fighter would be too “mentally tough” for the other.
Even though Tszyu insisted on fighting at super welterweight, his opponent clearly felt the extra 4 pounds would be appropriate after his three-year layoff.
This long break came after Spence suffered a ninth-round stoppage loss to Terence Crawford, who became the undisputed king of the 147-pound division in surprisingly one-sided fashion.
Spence previously held the WBC, IBF and WBA titles with victories over Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Yordenis Ugas, although a weight augment always seemed inevitable.
Now the 36-year-old hopes to revive his career against Tszyu, who is coming off a two-point win after losing to Sebastian Fundora last July.
While their rematch ended in the seventh round, Tszyu showed tremendous strength against Fundora in 2024, only to lose the WBO title via split decision.
Later that year, the Australian suffered a third-round defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev, with four-division world champion Stevenson saying: The whole fight against smoke that he thinks Spence is a level above him.
“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats Tim Tszyu.
“I’m an Errol Spence fan; I was okay with Errol Spence before [Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally forceful – Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.
Stevenson previously suggested that Spence could “destroy” Tszyu, believing the 31-year-old’s style was tailor-made for “The Truth.”
Despite concerns about Errol’s long three-year absence from the ring, Shakur believes the former unified welterweight champion still has what it takes to beat Tszyu.
“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats up Tim Tszyu,” Shakur said on Andre Ward’s channel.
“I’m an Errol Spence fan; Errol Spence was OK before [Terence Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally robust. Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.
Spence has not fought since a ninth-round loss to Crawford in July 2023 that cost him the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight titles. After almost three years of break from competition, the 36-year-old is now trying to resume his career in a fresh weight class.
Meanwhile, Tszyu enters the fight with regained momentum after a arduous period in 2024. The former WBO junior middleweight champion bounced back from setbacks to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev with back-to-back victories to get back into position for his next marquee fight.
Shakur has previously expressed confidence in Spence’s chances against Tszyu, but his latest comments suggest he remains confident that the Texan’s experience, mentality and overall ability will be the deciding factor on July 25.
The fight will be one of the biggest tests of Spence’s career. While Tszyu is looking to secure a spectacular win that could redefine his position in the junior middleweight division, Errol will be looking to show that he can still compete at the highest level after an extended period of inactivity.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
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