Haney dominates Norman to capture WBO welterweight title - ESPN

There have been a lot of questions surrounding Devin Haney over the past 18 months — and he answered each and every one of them, emphatically, on Saturday.

Haney (33-0, 15 KOs) became a three-weight world champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, defeating Brian Norman Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) by unanimous decision to claim the WBO welterweight championship. The judges scored the 147-pound title fight for Haney via scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 114-113. It was Haney's first actual appearance at 147 pounds, since his last appearance was fought at a 144-pound catchweight.

The victory marked a career resurgence of sorts for Haney, who has faced questions about his ability to take a punch and avoid an elite left hook and whether he could effectively move up in weight ever since he was dropped three times in a majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia in April 2024. The loss was later changed to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, but the questions around Haney's durability and mindset lingered.

«In 2024, I lost everything,» Haney said. «Everything came crashing down on me. In 2025, I came to get it back. In 2026, I'm coming for everything.»

Haney, of Miami, not only proved he was willing to take a shot from arguably the hardest hitter in the division in Norman Jr., he showed he can dish it at this weight as well. He used a right hand to knock Norman Jr. down in the second round and then never looked back. His jab gave Norman Jr. fits all night, and he surprised many observers by his decision to stand his ground in the pocket and land effective check hooks.

Norman Jr., who produced a Knockout of the Year candidate earlier this year against Jin Sasaki, never fully caught up to Haney's speed or control of