Connect with us

Boxing

Norman Jr. vows to KO Haney, says he can’t trust the judges

Published

on

Image: Norman Jr. Vows to KO Haney At Grand Arrival: “I Don’t Trust No Judges”

WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. made his grand arrival today to defend against Devin Haney at Ring IV: Night of Champions in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KO) said he was focused on “knocking out” Haney because he didn’t trust the judges.

(Source: Leigh Dawney Photography)

A-side games in all their glory

Even though Norman Jr. is the world champion and the betting favorite, Haney is the A side in this fight and his name is at the top. A rematch between Devin and Ryan Garcia is already planned before Saturday’s fight with Norman Jr.

When you see something like this, it’s doubly essential for Team B’s player to make sure he scores the knockout or makes it one-sided enough to not end up with the tiny end of the stick. Norman Jr., 24, has the power to take referees out of the game, thwarting plans for another Haney vs. Ryan fight. Technically, it could still happen, but not under ideal conditions.

KO mission, no referees needed

“Knock him out. I’m not trying to go 12 rounds. I don’t trust any judges at all.” said Brian Norman Jr. while great arrival today in Riyad, revealing what his goal is for Saturday night when he defends against Devin Haney. “I have the power to judge myself, so I will go out and apply it.”

You can understand why Norman Jr. he doesn’t trust the judges taking part in Saturday’s fight. He’s nowhere near as popular as Haney, even though he’s a much more exhilarating fighter to watch.

Haney’s movement and holding plan

Haney’s last fight against Jose Ramirez on May 2, 2025 showed what we could see from him on Saturday night. There will likely be a lot of movement and stopping on Haney’s side to neutralize Norman’s attack.

Both fighters’ punching power may be at the lowest level fans have seen. This isn’t because of Norman Jr. He will try to get to Haney and land, but it will be tough if he decides to move and hold out all night.

“This is a dream come true for me. I want to fight the best fighters in the world,” Haney said during today’s grand arrival, explaining why he is challenging Brian Norman Jr. for the WBO welterweight title. “Brian Norman is the champion and I am the challenger.”

Only two elite names in ten years

Haney has only fought two good fighters in his long 10-year career, Vasily Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia. The rest of the names on Haney’s resume are a mix of older and lesser players. Lomachenko was 35 years aged when Haney fought him in 2023.

“It’s not the first time for me. It’s not the second time for me. This will be my third fight with the champion and I’m looking forward to it,” Haney said.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Swiss No. 1 Seifeddine Letaief challenges rival Arbnor Jashari

Published

on

Seifeddine Letaief vs Arbnor Jashari rivalry poster showing the Swiss lightweights with Zurich blue tones on the left and Basel red tones on the right.

Swiss lightweight Seifeddine Letaief told World Boxing News he is ready to settle his growing ring rivalry with fellow undefeated fighter Arbnor Jashari.

Letaief is currently in first place in the Swiss rankings for his division, while Jashari is in second place, which is a natural matchup between the two undefeated fighters.

A meeting between the pair would pit the two highest-ranked lightweights in the country against each other.

Tensions escalated with exchanges on social media, FaceTime calls about a potential fight and exchanges of words.

According to Letaief, the rivalry even escalated to the point that Jashari tried to involve the SwissBoxing committee.

“At one point he even tried to block me from SwissBoxing, claiming that I had humiliated him on social media,” Letaief told World Boxing News.

Swiss competition

Letaief insists that from his point of view the situation is plain. The undefeated lightweight says he is ready to fight and believes the fight should happen now rather than later.

“I’m ready to fight and decide everything in the ring,” he explained.

SwissBoxing has suggested waiting until both fighters have built bigger physiques before moving on to staging the fight, but Letaief believes the circumstances already make it an attractive fight for the local scene.

The clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the country, combined with the rivalry between Zurich and Basel, may arouse great interest in Switzerland.

Seifeddine Letaief

Unbroken records

Letaief, 23, turned professional in September 2024 and has compiled an undefeated record of 6-0, including two knockouts. He lives in Winterthur and has fought several times in the Zurich region, establishing himself as one of the country’s emerging prospects.

Meanwhile, Jashari has had a slightly longer professional career. The 25-year-old made his debut in April 2022 and has a 7-0 record, which includes two knockouts.

Both fighters also share a common opponent, Lasha Giorgi Vardiashvili, and each of them scored a six-round decision victory in 2025.

For now, the fight that many in the Swiss boxing community want to see remains unsigned, and Letaief has made it clear he is ready to move forward as soon as the opportunity arises.

“Despite all these talks, the fight has still not been decided. For me, the matter is plain: I am ready to fight and decide everything in the ring. I believe that this fight must take place now,” Letaief concluded.


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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk announces the list of his last three opponents and confirms that he will then retire

Published

on

Oleksandr Usyk announces his final 3 opponents and confirms he will then retire

Oleksandr Usyk still has three fights left and hopes to extend his record to 27-0 before hanging up his gloves for good.

The elite Ukrainian was undisputed at cruiserweight before repeating the feat twice at heavyweight. In both divisions, he has victories over Murat Gassiew, Mairis Briedis, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Usyk will then focus more on the spectacle side of the sport when he faces kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt on May 23.

I keep talking Inside the RingUsyk assured fans that while this fight may not be at the elite level he is known for, his last two fights will be.

“Rico, this is the first one. Second, Wardley-Dubois wins. The third fight is my friend Greedy Belly, Tyson Fury.”

When asked how much time he had left, Usyk confirmed that he was three years aged and had not played.

Fabio Wardley rose from interim to full WBO champion when Usyk vacated the belt last year, and he puts that status on the line against Dubois on May 9 in Manchester. If “DDD” wins tonight, Usyk’s last two scheduled fights could be trilogy fights.

The 39-year-old from Simferopol defeated Dubois and Fury twice, stopping the former in both cases and the latter on points. Fan interest in the fights may therefore be circumscribed.

However, if Wardley manages to remain with the organization in two months’ time, many would like to see the Ipswich fighter team up with the Usyk fighter who has established himself as the greatest heavyweight of a generation.

Whether this would be an uncontested fight seems unlikely. Although Usyk’s WBC belt in the match with Verhoeven is controversial, the IBF and WBA have not commented on this fight yet.

Moreover, the WBC has ordered Usyk to face Agit Kabayel next, which is clearly not in his plans. This means that it may be stripped of all three lanes in the near future.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Eddie Hearn fights for Katie Taylor in Croke Park

Published

on

Image: Eddie Hearn pushing for Katie Taylor retirement fight at Croke Park

“I just want to fight in Dublin to finish my career. Of course we’re still hoping for Croke Park, holding on to a little bit of hope that it will happen,” Taylor told RTE.

“Fighting my last fight in our most iconic arena. How special would that be? I think it would be absolutely extraordinary if I was able to do it. I’m not sure if it will happen or not. Either way, I will end my career here and I’m very excited about that.”

Taylor has only fought twice in Ireland as a professional, both fights will take place in 2023 against Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena in Dublin. Cameron won her first fight by majority decision, handing Taylor the only defeat of her career, before Taylor regained the undisputed junior welterweight championship six months later in a rematch.

The 38-year-old Irish star remains one of the greatest fighters in women’s boxing history. Taylor won Olympic gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics before turning professional and quickly winning world titles in two categories. In 2019, she became the undisputed lightweight champion and later repeated the feat at 140 pounds.

Much of Taylor’s recent profile has been built on her rivalry with Amanda Serrano. Their first fight at Madison Square Garden in 2022 was widely celebrated and helped augment the visibility of women’s boxing. Taylor later completed the trilogy by majority vote in July, increasing her record to 25-1 (6 KO).

The possibility of saying goodbye to the stadium became the subject of interest for its long-time promoter. Hearn admitted it would take significant work to turn the idea into reality, but he believes this moment will be historic for Irish sport.

“It’s a hell of a lot of work to make sure one of the greatest athletes of all time fulfills her biggest dream. And I have to deliver Croke Park. I have to,” Hearn said on The Ariel Helwani Show.

“If I don’t give it my all, if I don’t put in every effort to make it happen, I won’t do justice to Katie and I won’t do it to myself. Because it would be the biggest sporting event in Irish history.”

Hearn said talks with Croke Park officials had taken place previously and had resumed as Taylor’s career came to an end.

“There is more momentum this time,” he said.

No opponent has been determined for Taylor’s last fight. Hearn said the focus remains on determining whether the stadium plan can be secured before making any player selections.

“Obviously you want to have an opponent who is compelling, competitive and has a story behind it,” Hearn said. “Nothing has really been discussed or said about the opponent. We are really trying to ensure that discussions with Croke Park allow for that possibility before we pursue it further.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending