It was Ryan Garcia’s infamous left hook that sent Devin Haney to the canvas during their April clash last year at Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Although Haney avoided a loss on his record after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine, resulting in a No Contest, questions still linger. That very left hook has fueled growing speculation that Haney might fall short in his upcoming November 22 title defense against Brian Norman Jr. at ANB Arena in Riyadh.
Adding fuel to the fire, former welterweight champion Shawn Porter recently shared a bold prediction on his The Porter Way Podcast YouTube channel. In the video, Porter voiced his doubts about the fight even happening, saying, “Can’t imagine the camp is comfortable enough to take this fight. So, I’m gonna go on record for saying this, I don’t think think the fight happens.” He added, “I think there’s going to be something within the Haney camp that prevents this fight from happening.”
Whether Devin Haney pulls out of his next fight remains to be seen, but it appears the memory of Ryan Garcia’s left hook continues to haunt him, at least in the eyes of fans. On July 12, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, Hamzah Sheeraz dropped Edgar Berlanga twice in round four before finishing the bout with a fifth-round TKO. The performance lit up social media, and fans quickly drew parallels to Haney’s knockdown against Garcia. One post from 112 Fighting Sports on X read: “Nah, Devin Haney really had a flashback to the Ryan Garcia fight in New York after seeing this Sheeraz Left Hook on Berlanga.”
Amused by the online roasting, even Haney couldn’t resist joining the fun. On July 13, he reshared the video with a laughing emoji-filled caption: “ fawk u..” The clip he referenced was a highlight from the fifth rounds of Sheeraz’s dominant win over Berlanga, a fight that captured boxing fans’ attention with its explosive finish and clinical power.
fawk u.. https://t.co/rmcofL4mw1
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) July 13, 2025
In round four, Sheeraz masterfully slipped several of Edgar Berlanga’s shots before Berlanga landed a brief left hook around the 1:10 mark. But moments later, Sheeraz responded with a crisp right hand, followed by a clean left hook that sent Berlanga crashing under the bottom rope with 41 seconds left in the round. Though disoriented, Berlanga beat the count, only to be dropped again by a sharp left-right combination with 16 seconds remaining. The bell spared him further punishment, for the moment.
Berlanga was still clearly disturbed when round five started. Sheeraz jumped right in and hit him with another right-left flurry. This time, Berlanga’s attempt to keep upright by leaning on his right glove made the referee call off the fight, which was a clear statement from the undefeated Brit. And that’s exactly what seemed to be going through Haney’s mind, at least according to what many said on social media.
But Devin Haney’s reaction might have helped Brian Norman Jr. even more, especially because Norman already thinks Haney is terrified to fight him. Why? Because Norman’s last fight ended with a powerful left hook that knocked out Japan’s Jin Sasaki in the fifth round. Later reports said that the blow caused Sasaki to lose some short-term memory. Brian Norman Jr. now thinks that Devin Haney is afraid.
Brian Norman Jr. smells fear in Devin Haney’s camp
Tensions between Devin Haney and The Assassin II. reached a boiling point during a promotional event near Times Square. The face-off turned physical when the 26-year-old reacted to Norman Jr. placing a finger on his chest. The brief scuffle, which also involved Haney’s bodyguard, occurred during media duties ahead of their scheduled November 22 welterweight title bout in Riyadh.
The 24-year-old later opened up about the incident in an interview with The Ring, explaining that things were initially cordial. However, the mood shifted when Devin Haney claimed he was giving Norman Jr. an opportunity. The 28-0 boxer, who currently holds the WBO welterweight title, disagreed, asserting that as the reigning champion, he was not the one being granted anything.
“We be vibin’, man,” Norman Jr. recalled. “Just chilling, good people, come in, shake hands and show teeth… I don’t know why they came with all this hostility, my brother. I think they might be a little nervous.” Now, with the betting odds slightly favoring the former lightweight champion, Devin Haney is set to make his welterweight debut against a confident Brian Norman Jr., who enters the bout riding a streak of three consecutive knockouts. That said, is Devin Haney truly ready for the challenge? Or could there be real fear behind the tension? What do you think?
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