When Devin Haney looks back at his chaotic spring, he doesn’t hide it—what happened with Ryan Garcia shook him to his core.
The fight, the fallout, the overturned result… all of it left the former undisputed lightweight champion wrestling with something he hadn’t felt in his career before: a genuine loss of confidence.
The two met in Brooklyn on April 20, a night Garcia sent shockwaves through the sport by putting Haney on the canvas three times and walking away with a majority-decision win.
Weeks later, everything flipped when the New York State Athletic Commission declared the bout a no contest.
Garcia had tested positive twice for ostarine, a banned substance, in samples collected both the day before and the day of the fight.
Garcia was hit with a one-year suspension, a heavy fine, and the loss of his entire purse.
Haney’s spotless record was restored—at least on paper.
But emotionally? That took longer.
A Fighter Who Felt Changed Overnight
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport, Haney admitted the whole ordeal altered him in ways he didn’t expect.
He said the initial result cut deep: “I think I lost my confidence and changed as a person after the fight.
When you see a loss next to your name, of course it affects you.
Then everything comes out about the PEDs, and your mind is just spinning. So much happened in a single night.”
Still, he believes the experience sharpened him. “It made me a better person.
A better fighter. Now I’m bringing all of that into the ring on November 22.”
Riyadh Becomes the Proving Ground
Haney knows there’s only one real way to show he’s moved past the Garcia chaos: take a dangerous fight and win it convincingly. And this Saturday, he gets the perfect test.
Across the ring will be 24-year-old Brian Norman Jr—unbeaten at 28-0 (22 KOs), newly crowned WBO welterweight champion, and fresh off a statement win in Japan earlier this year.
Norman is young, powerful, and eager to defend his belt on a stage this big.
Haney, now 32-0 with 15 knockouts, is chasing his third world title in a third weight class.
Yet questions linger after two performances many considered flat—one against Garcia (even with the no contest) and another against Jose Ramirez.
He insists choosing Norman wasn’t an accident.
“This is the exact type of fight I wanted,” Haney said.
“Norman keeps saying he knows how to beat me. Saturday, I’m showing him he can’t.
He’s the best guy at 147, and that’s why I want him.”
The Trust Issues Left Behind
If the Garcia episode left bruises, they weren’t only physical or emotional—Haney’s faith in the sport itself took a hit.
Drug testing, something he had always taken seriously, became non-negotiable in a new way.
“We go above and beyond now,” he explained. “We push for the strictest testing months out. VADA.
Year-round. If I’m on vacation, they test me. If I’m home, they test me. Anytime.”
That mindset led to one of the bubbling tensions of this build-up: when testing should officially begin.
Norman’s team preferred an August 1 start date after he returned from a July holiday.
Haney refused, insisting it begin immediately. VADA ended up testing Norman while he was still overseas.
To Haney, it wasn’t personal—it was lessons learned.
“We definitely learned from the Garcia situation.
From here on out, everything has to be extreme. Boxing is too dangerous for shortcuts.”
A Demand From Above: No More Cat-and-Mouse
Another outside pressure comes from Turki Alalshikh, who has openly criticized “Tom and Jerry fights”—the kind where one fighter circles and avoids exchanges while the other gives chase.
After what many considered a lukewarm performance from Haney last time out, the expectation is clear: show more fire.
Haney says there’s no need to worry.
“I want a dominant win—not just a win. I want to look good doing it. That’s the plan.”
Two Americans, One Stage, One Big Statement
Saturday’s event in Riyadh, headlined by David Benavidez vs Anthony Yarde, features an entire line-up of world title bouts.
But Haney vs Norman carries its own weight.
For Norman Jr, it’s a chance to stamp himself as America’s newest power at 147 pounds.
For Haney, it’s an opportunity to remind everyone why he was once considered one of the most complete fighters of his generation.