Norman Jr. vs. Haney Set for Riyadh Season, Headlining a Night of Champions
July 6, 2025
By Steven X
Devin Haney will challenge Brian Norman Jr. this November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a headline bout during Riyadh Season—a boxing super-card that continues to grow in scale and star power.
The matchup will mark Haney’s bid to become a three-division world champion, as he looks to claim Norman’s WBO welterweight title. Norman, 24, enters the bout with momentum, following a knockout-of-the-year candidate against Jin Sasaki in Japan. Haney, meanwhile, last fought in Times Square during Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, earning a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez.
The Norman-Haney showdown is one of several championship bouts scheduled for the November event, curated by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. The Saudi advisor has turned Riyadh into a global combat sports destination, and his recent social media announcements reflect the depth of the upcoming card.
Among the confirmed fights: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the WBC and Ring super flyweight champion, will face WBA champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez in a unification bout. Rising stars Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes will meet for the vacant WBO lightweight title. Noakes, a power puncher from England, will face Mason, the highly touted American boxer-puncher, in a clash of top-10 lightweights.
Also on the card, David Benavidez will make his Riyadh Season debut, defending his WBC light heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde of England.
But the centerpiece remains Norman Jr. vs. Haney—a classic matchup of styles. Haney, 26, is a boxing technician and former undisputed lightweight champion. Norman Jr., a fighter with explosive power, believes his physicality and aggression will overwhelm the Oakland native.
Norman, who is based in Georgia, is currently ranked No. 5 on Haney’s public “hit list,” posted by his father and trainer, Bill Haney, on social media in May. The bout nearly fell apart in recent weeks as both fighters’ fathers engaged in a public war of words across boxing YouTube channels. Ultimately, the fight was finalized, with both men putting their undefeated records on the line.
On June 29, Turki Alalshikh posted: “Devin Haney will fight anyone and I respect that.”
Haney has openly lobbied for the prestigious Ring Magazine welterweight title to be included in the bout. He tweeted on July 3: “Me & Norman should be for Ring Magazine belt.” While the Ring title is not yet confirmed, Haney's push signals his intent to continue building a legacy across divisions, as he did at 135 and 140 pounds.
Norman Jr., for his part, appears unfazed by the spotlight. In a promotional video released June 29, he addressed Alalshikh directly: “Your Excellency, I would like to thank you for presenting this fight. Come November, I will knock that boy Devin Haney out at Riyadh Season.”
Haney responded with dry wit. After Norman’s knockout of Sasaki, Haney tweeted a photo of the moment with the caption: “Damn… maybe Brian ain’t so ass.” It was a reversal of his own June 16 comment, where he said that Norman Jr. “is ass.”
Currently, the welterweight division is in flux. Jaron “Boots” Ennis has vacated his IBF and WBA titles as he plans to move up to 154 pounds, and Mario Barrios is about to fight Manny Pacquiao. That leaves the WBO belt, held by Norman, as a key prize in the weight class—and a target for Haney.
Norman, who once negotiated with Ennis, is now focused solely on Haney. “Even if he’s gun-shy or whatever, you could never fault his heart,” Norman said recently. “Why does he need to fight me? I just came off the biggest knockout of my career, possibly the knockout of the year. My momentum is high. So, no matter what, I know he got heart, he got dog in him.”
Respect aside, Haney remains driven by something deeper.
It’s not just dog—it’s conviction. For Haney, this is not just another fight. It’s a pursuit of history.