Promoter Eddie Hearn says Devin Haney and his father, Bill, are only “On the lookout for the bag” at this stage. Hearn believes it’s “dangerous” for the previous 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 twenty second on the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Haney’s Modified Priorities
Eddie points out that before Haney selected 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 not being “strategic” with how they select opponents. They simply want fights that may herald many thousands and thousands.
Hearn states that the change in Haney, 26, got here about from the aftermath of his 12-round majority decision loss to Ryan Garcia last 12 months 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 response from fans has transformed Haney right into a fighter who isn’t any longer in love with boxing and is just focused on getting the largest paydays possible. Nonetheless, Hearn believes Devin is being reckless now, and he says there’s a “good likelihood” he’ll lose to Norman Jr. on November twenty second.
A Dangerous Mindset for Devin
“No, not yet. And that’s why that fight could be very dangerous,” said Hearn to Australian Boxing Central when asked if Haney’s next opponent, Norman Jr., is targeted on money at this stage of his profession for his or her fight. “There’s a excellent likelihood Devin Haney could lose that fight. Not for Devin,” said Hearn on whether he likes that fight.
Norman Jr., 24, continues to be young and impressive and hasn’t experienced the identical thing Haney faced in his fight against Ryan Garcia last 12 months. Brian Jr. is a distinct form of person, who gives the looks that he would bite down harder together with his profession if he went through an identical situation. What we don’t know is how the cash will change Norman Jr.
Haney and Bill are reacting in the identical way many fighters do after they get big paydays, just like the one they got for the Garcia fight. Naturally, they wish to proceed to make similar money, and the one strategy to try this is to fight the massive names offered to them by Turki Alalshikh for his Riyadh Season events.
From Technique to Looking for Paydays
“What’s happened now could be Bill [Haney] and Devin, they’re not looking strategically,” said Hearn. “They’re searching 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 simply want the cash. They simply want the cash. 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 Latest York City. Haney received much criticism from fans and the media for selecting to box and move for much of the fight. Although Devin won by a large 12-round unanimous decision, his performance wasn’t considered entertaining within 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 lots more selective and tactical about who to fight. Now, he just wants the cash. 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 an awesome achievement. But for my part, the Haney’s are taking a look at the choice and searching at money reasonably than legacy. They still care, but not in the identical way,” said Hearn.
Last Updated on 08/28/2025