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Ryan Garcia is the best fighter to predict how the Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr. fight will unfold. Even though the result was later expunged, ‘King Ry’ delivered an absolute beatdown when he met ‘The Dream’ in the ring last year. The Victorville native dropped Haney three times en route to a majority decision victory. Yet that’s not the end of his experience fighting Haney. During their amateur days, Haney and Garcia fought a total of six times, with three wins each. Even though Garcia’s subsequent loss to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero derailed their own professional rematch, both fighters hope they can run it back in the future. For now, Haney will have to deal with Brian Norman Jr. on November 22 at the ANB Arena, Riyadh for the latter’s WBO welterweight title. And Garcia seems to know who will win. ADVERTISEMENT Ryan Garcia predicts frustration will influence the victory So, who does Ryan Garcia think will win? Devin Haney, of course! “I [am] confident that Devin Haney wins,” he wrote on X earlier today. Why? “Reasoning is simply exp, and I feel he will figure it out,” Garcia added. “It’s not about speed or power in this. I think Devin just frustrates Norman.” Garcia claims he’s open to being proven wrong, adding, “Norman can very much prove me wrong; we will see.” Haney is coming off a unanimous decision win over Jose Ramirez in May—the same card where Garcia suffered his loss to Rolando Romero. Despite the victory, Haney drew heavy criticism from fans and analysts alike for his overly cautious style. Throughout the bout, he spent much of the time circling and evading while Ramirez chased him around the ring, turning what could’ve been a thrilling contest into a drawn-out, tactical affair. ADVERTISEMENT That approach likely stemmed from the punishment Haney took against Garcia earlier in the year. In an effort to protect his newly restored undefeated record, he leaned into a defensive strategy that, while effective, cost him crowd appeal. If Haney sticks to that same formula against Norman Jr., the backlash will likely continue—and his marketability could take another hit. Still, Haney’s experience gives him a significant edge. ‘The Dream’ has already bested elite opponents such as Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., so even with this fight taking place at welterweight, he shouldn’t face too much trouble handling Norman Jr. Yet, Brian Norman Jr. is confident in his abilities. ADVERTISEMENT Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Brian Norman Jr. has been dreaming of a fight against Devin Haney The unbeaten WBO welterweight champion has been living his dream as he prepares to hand Devin Haney his first loss. This isn’t just another fight—it’s the matchup he’s always wanted. “He is the opponent I’ve been dreaming of,” Norman told Sky Sports. “His strengths are his feet, his jab. But his weakness is Brian Norman Jr. The fact that I am me.” Despite Haney’s underwhelming win over Ramirez, Norman Jr. is underestimating Haney. “You can’t judge a man off one fight,” he said. “Devin Haney, I know for a fact, is mentally prepared.” Drawing inspiration from James Toney, Norman believes that discipline and fight IQ will be the deciding factors. “Straight up skill, integrity, and savageness will be what wins this fight,” he declared. ADVERTISEMENT Dates are set, predictions have been made—all that is left is the fight. Will Ryan Garcia’s prediction come true? Or will Brian Norman Jr. cause an upset when the light turns on?
