Prograis Picks Haney’s Skill To Edge Brian Norman Jr.

Regis Prograis will select Devin Haney to knock out WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. in nine days on November 22 in Riyadh. The former Prograis 140-pound champion said Haney (32-0, 16 KOs) has faced better competition and is a better boxer than Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs).

Hani’s shock-resistant mentality

Regis says Haney, 26, doesn’t care if he gets booed, and will run around the ring like he did in his last fight against Jose Ramirez on May 2, 2025. He will fight to win the decision, doing the minimum required to get a 12-round decision against Norman Jr.

Prograis lost the WBC 140-pound title to Haney two years ago on December 9, 2023, in a surprisingly one-sided 12-round unanimous decision defeat. The scores were 120-107, 120-107, and 120-107. He was 34 years old at the time, and wasn’t at his best like 24-year-old Norman Jr. is now.

Prograis says Haney doesn’t have the punching power to keep Norman Jr. at bay. However, he has quick steps, and believes he will look to move around the ring all night to play away.

Can Haney keep Norman away?

“I don’t think so. I fought Devin. I don’t want to sound bad, but Devin doesn’t have a lot of power,” Regis Prograis told Fighthype when asked if Devin Haney had enough power to hold off Brian Norman Jr. In their fight on November 22nd.

Fans who ordered the November 22 event on DAZN PPV won’t be happy if Haney escapes Norman Jr. for 12 rounds. They want to get value for their money, and will have to rely on the other fights on the card, provided Devin puts in another Jerry-style performance like he did against Jose Ramirez on May 2 on Turki Al Sheikh’s Times Square card.

Hani’s strength is decisive

“His punches are not strong, but his body is strong. I don’t see it [Haney] Kick him out. “I decided on Devin,” Regis said. “You have to look at the resume. You have to look at the level of competition. Devin has fought better people. Brian Norman has a lot of power. He seems to have good footwork, too.

What Prograis seems to be getting at when he talks about Haney’s body being strong is the decisiveness he does. When he grabs, he holds his opponents in a vice-like grip to prevent them from freely ducking to hit him with shots or strike him while they are holding him. So, they are forced to wait until the ruling is broken. Haney’s consistent decisiveness is an important part of his defense because when cornered, he holds on to prevent being hit.

Will Hani repeat Ramirez’s plan?

“I have Devin because he’s the better boxer. It’s not fighting. It’s boxing. He’s quick on his feet and has quick punches. The other thing is Devin doesn’t care about people booing. He doesn’t care what it looks like. He’ll win whatever it takes. So, he can run like in his last fight with [Jose] Ramirez. He ran around the ring for 12 rounds. “It wasn’t much,” Progress said.

Ramirez looked much older than his 33 years, and didn’t appear to be trying too hard to get through to Haney. Norman Jr. will try harder because he wants to win, and he is young at 24 years old. He will seize his chances if Haney runs all night like he did against Ramirez.