The Dream and the Face Off of Champions

July 6, 2025
By Steven X 

Brian Norman Jr. faces off against Devin Haney this November in Riyadh Season, which has other high-profile matches that are being added to the card since the announcement of the fight. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh tweeted recently that Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes will go at it in November for the vacant WBO lightweight title. The Englishman puncher Noakes, will attempt his first time at a world title. Noakes is a puncher, while Mason is the highly-skilled boxer or boxer-puncher who is ranked No. 10, and the Englishman is No. 9 lightweight. Alalshikh also tweeted that Ring and WBC super flyweight world champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will face off against WBA champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez.

The November supercard will also feature David Benavidez defending his WBC light heavyweight title versus Anthony Yarde. This will be the first time that Benavidez has fought in Riyadh Season. It’s a card of champions versus champions.

Devin Haney will be attempting to become a three-weight division world champion when he challenges Norman Jr, the Georgia native who is coming off a knockout of the year contender when he flatlined Jin Sasaki in Japan two weeks ago. Norman Jr. is listed as number five on the hit list of Devin Haney, which was released on X (Twitter) on May 21st by the boxer’s father, trainer, and manager, Bill Haney. It seemed the fight was not going to happen because of the back and forth of the fathers of both camps on various boxing content creators on YouTube. Eventually, the deal got made, and both camps put their undefeated records on the line coming this November.

Turki tweeted on June 29th that “Devin Haney will fight anyone and I respect that.” Devin Haney’s last fight in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves in Times Square against Jose Ramirez was a UD decision, which is consistent with the outcomes that Haney gets against his opponents—he outboxes seemingly every round and gets decisions. The former undisputed lightweight champion, the youngest ever in the four-belt era, is attempting to be in the history books by becoming a new champion at 147. This is a devastating puncher in Norman Jr. against a pure boxer in Devin Haney.

Norman Jr. has never faced an accomplished fighter, and pedigree in Devin Haney. That said, he seems poised and ready to defend his WBO belt. A video was released on June 29th where he says, “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. Happy to meet you, and let’s make this thing happen.”

On June 19th, Devin Haney tweeted a photo of Sasaki sprawled out on the canvas and Norman Jr. looking over him, he said, “Damn.. maybe Brian ain’t so ass.” This was a response to himself since Devin tweeted previously on June 16th, that Norman Jr. said, “He is ass..” It was a retweet of an X “Twitter” user saying “Norman called out Devin to fight next at 147 for the WBO, the ring magazine could be on the line for that or nah?” Devin wants the Ring Magazine to be on the line since he tweeted on July 3rd, “Me & Norman should b for ring magazine belt.” The reality is Devin Haney is the former undisputed champion, and Norman Jr. is the devastating puncher and champion at 147. There are other champions, but Mario Barrios is busy with an upcoming Pacquiao fight, and Jaron “Boots” Ennis has stated that he’s moving up to 154 from 147. 

One senses that Turki is not yet done with the November supercard for Riyadh Season and that more news is to come about face-offs. Boots has vacated his 147 IBF and WBA welterweight belts since he announced that he’s campaigning at 154. Norman Jr. and Boots were in failed negotiations to fight each other at 147, which is now a distant memory and has been replaced with Devin “The Dream” Haney wanting the WBO belt at 147 to begin his quest of becoming a champion at a new weight division, just like he did at 135 and 140. Norman Jr. stands in his way and has a lot to say.

In fact, in speaking of his opponent, Brian Norman Jr. said of Devin Haney, “Even if he’s gun-shy or whatever, you could never fault his heart, 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 going high. Why does he need to fight me? So, no matter what, I know he got heart, he got dog in him.” Norman Jr. may respect Devin Haney, but does he understand him? It’s more than just dog—Devin has the conviction that he is the best fighter in the world and wants to prove this basic datum against his contemporaries. That’s more than dog, that’s heart. 


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