Brian Norman Sr. says his son’s former opponents Giovani Santillan, Derrieck Cuevas and Jin Sasaki hit harder than Devin Haney. He doesn’t view Devin (32-0, 15 KO) as having enough size and strength to pose a threat to WBO welterweight champion Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KO) during their 12-round joint fight, which will take place on November 22, 2025 at the ANB Arena in Riyad.
Consolation for Santillan and Cuevas
“Skill-wise, there’s nothing on Brian Norman Jr.. We’ll show you on November 22. I don’t see him as a bigger threat than Giovani Santillan,” Brian Norman Sr. said. MillCity Boxing about Devin Haney. “I don’t even see him as a bigger threat than Derrieck Cuevas. I don’t see him as a bigger threat than Jin Sasaki.”
It is believed that Haney’s plan will involve stabbing, moving and restraining Norman Jr. throughout the night to secure a decisive victory. However, Norman Sr. doesn’t think this is possible because Brian Jr. he has an inch reach advantage over Haney. It also has a stronger jab that resembles a power punch.
Haney’s first real test at welterweight
“Have you ever seen Devin Haney fight a full-fledged welterweight? What fighter have you seen Haney fight that was the same length as him? That was [Jose] Ramirez and Ryan [Garcia]. Were you impressed with the performance?” said Norman Jr.
Norman Sr. the point is that Haney has never fought in the full welterweight division. His last fight was with former WBC and WBO welterweight champion Jose Ramirez on May 2, 2025 in a catchweight of 144 pounds. Ramirez is not a welterweight and at 33 years ancient, he was already past his prime.
Haney will be baptized by fire
Haney’s first real fight at the age of 147 will be on November 22, 2025, against 24-year-old Norman Jr. and it will be a baptism by fire for the San Francisco, California resident. Not only is Devin fighting at full weight for the first time at 147 pounds, but he’s also coming face to face with the biggest fighter in the welterweight division.
24-year-old Norman Jr. This is the youngest opponent Haney will face since his fight with then 21-year-old Jose Iniguez on December 18, 2015.
Tom Galm has been lively on the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.
Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.
Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.
Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.
“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”
Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.
Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.
Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.
He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.
More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.
Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.
Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.
For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.
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.
A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.
Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.
After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.
“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”
The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.
“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”
“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.
“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”
The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.
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