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

Regis Prograis is picking Devin Haney to dethrone WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. in nine days on November 22nd in Riyadh. The former two-time 140-lb champion Prograis states that Haney (32-0, 16 KOs) has faced better competition and is the better boxer than Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs).

Haney’s Boo-Proof Mindset

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

Prograis lost his WBC 140-lb 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 at the time, and not in his prime like the 24-year-old Norman Jr. is right now.

Prograis says that Haney doesn’t possess the punching power to keep Norman Jr. at bay. However, he’s got the quick feet, and he believes he’ll look to move around the ring all night long to play keep away.

Can Haney Keep Norman Off?

“I don’t think so. I fought Devin. I don’t want to sound bad, but Devin doesn’t have much power,” said Regis Prograis to Fighthype when asked if Devin Haney has enough power to hold off Brian Norman Jr. in their fight on November 22nd.

The fans who order the November 22nd event on DAZN PPV won’t be happy if Haney runs from Norman Jr. for 12 rounds. They want value for their money, and they would have to depend on the other fights on the card, providing that if Devin turns in another Jerry-esque performance like he turned in against Jose Ramirez on May 2 on Turki Alalshikh’s Times Square card.

Haney’s Strength Is Clinching

“His punches aren’t that strong, but his body is. I don’t see him [Haney] knocking him out. I have Devin by decision,” said Regis. “You got to look at resumes. You have to look at the level of competition. Devin did fight the better people. Brian Norman does have a lot of power. He seems like he has good footwork, too.”

What Prograis seems to be driving at when he talks about Haney’s body being strong is the clinching he does. When he holds, he’s got his opponents in a vice-like grip to prevent them from wriggling free to nail him with shots or hit him while they’re being held. So, they’re forced to wait until the referee breaks. Haney’s constant clinching is a significant part of his defense because when he gets trapped, he grabs to prevent being hit.

Will Haney Repeat the Ramirez Blueprint?

“I have Devin because he’s the better boxer. It’s not fighting. It is boxing. He’s fast on his feet and has quick punches. Another thing is Devin doesn’t care about people booing. He doesn’t care about how it’s going to look. He’ll win by whatever it takes. So, he can just run around like in his last fight with [Jose] Ramirez. He just ran around the ring for 12 rounds. It wasn’t too much action,” said Prograis.

Ramirez looked much older than his 33 years and didn’t seem to try to go all out to get to Haney. Norman Jr. will make more of an effort because he wants to win, and he’s young at 24. He’ll take chances if Haney runs all night like he did against Ramirez.