Brian Norman Jnr and Devin Haney will contest Norman Jnr’s WBO welterweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a date to be confirmed in November, according to Turki Alalshikh.
Haney, 26, was being lined up for a rematch with Ryan Garcia but on the same night that he defeated Jose Carlos Ramirez at Times Square in New York, Garcia unexpectedly lost to Rolando “Rolly” Romero.
Negotiations for a potential showdown with the junior welterweight Teofimo Lopez then followed, but they ultimately came to little, whereafter the stock of the 24-year-old Norman Jnr was enhanced by him stopping, in five rounds in Tokyo, Japan, the Japanese contender Jin Sasaki.
With Jaron “Boots” Ennis moving up to junior middleweight, Norman Jnr-Haney perhaps became the most appealing contest that could be made at 147lbs, and presents Haney, the former undisputed lightweight champion, with the opportunity to become a world champion at a third weight.
“In November in Riyadh, Brian Norman Jnr will defend his welterweight title versus Devin Haney on a Riyadh Season card,” Alalshikh posted on social media. “More exciting surprises to come.”
“Three division champion,” Haney posted. “November Inshallah.”
