Coach Greg Hackett says he believes that Brian Norman Jr. could be overtrained for his fight against Devin Haney on November 22nd.
Too Much Work, Too Soon
Hackett notes that this is the first time that WBO welterweight champion Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) has faced a high-level fighter before. He believes he’s putting in too much work with just a month to go, and he sees Brian Jr. as “overprepared” for the fight.
If Norman Jr. is overtrained, his power will still be quite formidable, as he doesn’t look huge for the 147-lb division. Of the two, Haney (32-0, 16 KOs) has a better chance of being weight drained, because he looks bigger than his middleweight sparring partner, Troy Isley. Devin looks like he’s weighing in the mid-160s, which makes him a super middleweight.
Haney vs. Norman Jr. will fight in the 12-round chief support on November 22, 2025, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will be shown live on DAZN PPV.
“Norman’s best bet is to make it a physical fight. To try to outbox Devin Haney, that’s not going to happen,” said coach Greg Hackett to MillCity Boxing about what Brian Norman Jr. is up against in fighting the master boxer Devin Haney.
Norman Jr. doesn’t make his fights “physical” the way other fighters do. He doesn’t throw rabbit punches, shove, wrestle, or hit below the belt to win. The way he wins is by punching hard with every shot, pressuring, and forcing his opponents into brawls.
Coach Hackett sounds like he’s never watched Norman Jr. fight before. He’s got him mixed up with other fighters, who rely on fighting “physically.”
“The skill set. Devin Haney is just an all-around better boxer than Norman. He could go in there unprepared by being overprepared,” said Hackett about Norman.”Norman has to be a relentless dog. He’s tough, he’s mean, but that don’t always win fights. It’s going to be a challenge for Norman,” said Hackett.
First True Test at 147
There’s no question that Devin has better skills than Norman Jr. However, what coach Hackett is failing to mention is that this is Haney’s first real fight at 147 at the full weight against a true welterweight. He made his debut in the division earlier this year against former WBC and WBO light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez in a catchweight at 144 lbs on May 2, 2025.
Olly Campbell’s Bottom Line: One clean shot could end Haney’s debut
On November 22nd, Haney will be making his debut at welterweight in the true sense against what many believe is the biggest puncher in the division, Norman Jr. That chin is going to get tested by Brian Jr., and if it hasn’t gotten sturdier since the Ryan Garcia fight, he’s going to get knocked out. Hopefully, it’s not a stretcher job where Haney is taken out of the ring in a prone position. If so, it would be a lesson for fighters about needing to be selective in who they fight in their debut at 147.
If Haney can stay out of range all night, hit and move, he’ll defeat Norman Jr. It’s not going to be a fight that resembles Haney’s last three wins over these fighters: Jose Ramirez, Regis Prograis, and Vasily Lomachenko. Those were all fighters close to their mid-30s, and they didn’t have the power that the 24-year-old Norman Jr. has.
It’s going to be difficult for Devin to box for 12 rounds without getting caught. The odds of Haney not getting tagged hard enough to put him down or stun him are low. His punch resistance has been too shaky since 2021, getting hurt in his fights against these fighters:
- Jorge Linares – 2021
- Vasily Lomachenko – 2023
- Ryan Garcia – 2024
Haney was fine in his last fight against Ramirez, 33, but he was facing a slow fighter who wasn’t throwing jabs. Ramirez looked like he was putting only minimal effort into cutting off the ring. His movements didn’t show much urgency.
Last Updated on 10/22/2025
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