Promoter Eddie Hearn says Devin Haney and his father, Bill, are just “Looking for the bag” at this stage. Hearn believes it’s “dangerous” for the former two-division world champion Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) with that mindset going into his title challenge against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. on November 22nd at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Haney’s Changed Priorities
Eddie points out that before Haney chose Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs), he had attempted to get fights against Teofimo Lopez and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in moves that showed that he was money-driven. He states that Haney and Bill were no longer being “strategic” with how they select opponents. They just want fights that would bring in many millions.
Hearn states that the change in Haney, 26, came about from the aftermath of his 12-round majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia last year on April 20, 2024. Despite Ryan testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine for the fight, Haney was criticized and vilified for his complaints and lawsuit afterward.
Hearn believes that the reaction from fans has transformed Haney into a fighter who is no longer in love with boxing and is just focused on getting the biggest paydays possible. However, Hearn believes Devin is being reckless now, and he says there’s a “good chance” he’ll lose to Norman Jr. on November 22nd.
A Dangerous Mindset for Devin
“No, not yet. And that’s why that fight is very dangerous,” said Hearn to Australian Boxing Central when asked if Haney’s next opponent, Norman Jr., is focused on money at this stage of his career for their fight. “There’s a very good chance Devin Haney could lose that fight. Not for Devin,” said Hearn on whether he likes that fight.
Norman Jr., 24, is still young and ambitious and hasn’t experienced the same thing Haney faced in his fight against Ryan Garcia last year. Brian Jr. is a different type of person, who gives the appearance that he would bite down harder with his career if he went through a similar situation. What we don’t know is how the money will change Norman Jr.
Haney and Bill are reacting in the same way many fighters do after they get big paydays, like the one they got for the Garcia fight. Naturally, they want to continue to make similar money, and the only way to do that is to fight the big names offered to them by Turki Alalshikh for his Riyadh Season events.
From Strategy to Seeking Paydays
“What’s happened now is Bill [Haney] and Devin, they’re not looking strategically,” said Hearn. “They’re looking for the bag. That’s it. So, they’re like, ‘Where can we make our $5, 6, 7 million? What fight?’ That’s why they said, ‘We’ll fight ‘Boots’ [Ennis] at 147. Well, we’re not going up, but we’ll fight you at 150. Ah, we’ll fight Teofimo. We’ll fight Brian Norman.’ Well, because they just want the money. They just want the money. They don’t care now.”
What Hearn is leaving out is the backlash Haney received after his lackluster performance in his last fight against Jose Ramirez on May 2nd, 2025, at Times Square in New York City. Haney received much criticism from fans and the media for choosing to box and move for much of the fight. Although Devin won by a wide 12-round unanimous decision, his performance wasn’t considered entertaining in the view of fans. On social media, Haney was ridiculed—the scores for the Haney vs. Ramirez fight were 119-109, 119-109, and 118-110.
Legacy Sacrificed for the Bag
“[In the past], Bill was a lot more selective and tactical about who to fight. Now, he just wants the money. That’s [Norman Jr.] still good fight. It’s not all about money. If he beats Brian Norman, he becomes a three-division world champion, which is a great achievement. But in my opinion, the Haney’s are looking at the selection and looking at money rather than legacy. They still care, but not in the same way,” said Hearn.
Last Updated on 08/28/2025
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