Trainer Stephen Edwards says he doesn’t know how Devin Haney will be able to handle WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr’s powerful jab and left hook that he throws when they meet this Saturday, November 22nd, in their co-feature fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Norman Jr’s Jab From Hell
Edwards states that Norman Jr’s jab is like a power punch that he finishes with after throwing a hook. It makes it tough to predict and difficult to block.
“I think Devin might be a little too quick for Brian. But I don’t know how Devin is going to handle that kid’s jab and hook,” said trainer Stephen Edwards to MillCity Boxing about his concerns for Devin Haney’s ability to handle the shots from WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr.
The left hook that Norman Jr. throws is a show-stopper. Haney won’t be able to take that punch if he gets hit at any point in the fight. He’s obviously going to do everything he can to avoid Norman Jr. connecting with that punch or his right hand. But it’s going to be impossible for him to pitch a shutout, preventing Norman Jr. from landing anything.
Turki Won’t Tolerate “Tom & Jerry”
It’s going to be interesting to see the look on Turki Alalshikh’s face while he’s sitting in the front row, watching Devin run around the ring, ignoring his ‘No Tom and Jerry’ rule on Saturday. Turki is paying Haney a fortune for this fight, and he won’t be pleased watching him run from Norman Jr. all night.
“You’re going to get hit with a jab. Brian is knocking people out with jabs. It’s hard. A lot of people think you’re going to finish with a hook,” said Stephen. “But the difference is that you defend a hook with your hand on the side of your face. So, you think the hook is coming and he shoots a jab right up the middle at the end of a combination and it knocks the s*** out of you,” said Edwards about Norman Jr.
Devin is going to have to fight with more aggression on Saturday night than he showed against Jose Ramirez. He’s not going to defeat Norman Jr. moving nonstop, hoping to win a decision, landing only 70 punches in the entire fight. That’s all Haney landed against Ramirez.
Why Haney Must Be Perfect
“Devin is going to have to fight a perfect fight. That’s what makes me on the fence with the fight, where the guy with the better pedigree and a better boxer, I usually go with that guy. He’s [Haney] got to fight a perfect fight with this kid. Can he go all night without getting touched with the s***,” said Edwards.
Haney is going to have to run and hold like he did against Jose Ramirez for 12 rounds to have a chance of winning against Norman Jr. on Saturday. It’s going to be tough for him to be victorious using that style because he’s going to be under a lot more pressure than he was against Ramirez. In that fight, it looked like Ramirez wasn’t willing to take risks to land his shots.
The 24-year-old Norman Jr. won’t be afraid to walk through Haney’s keep-away shots to land his own, and he will trap him repeatedly. When that happens, it’s going to put Devin at risk of being knocked out. Even if he takes the shots well, the judges will take note of the hard punches that Norman Jr. is landing and will give the rounds to him.
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