Shawn Porter has weighed in on this weekend’s intriguing welterweight battle between champion Brian Norman Jr and challenger Devin Haney.
Defensive master Haney looks to become a three-weight world champion in his 147lbs debut, attempting to snatch the belt from Norman — whose raw power sees him come into this title defence off the back of three stoppage wins.
While it is the biggest test of Norman’s career so far, Haney has questions to answer at the new weight after a cautious approach in his last fight with Jose Ramirez, leading many to believe that the scars born from three knockdowns against Ryan Garcia remain.
Speaking on his podcast, The Porter Way, former two-time welterweight world champion backed Norman to ‘catch’ Haney and retain his title, saying he doesn’t believe the former undisputed lightweight king will have his full confidence back.
“I think Brian Norman has a gift in his timing. I believe in that gift that he’s spoke on. I think that Devin is going to be off and I think that he’s going to catch Devin, that’s what I think is going to happen.
“I think Devin is going to be gun shy. I don’t think that he’s going to systematically work that jab the way he used to. I think we’re going to get a lot of what we saw in his fight with Jose Ramirez. And I think that, if anything, he’ll start a level about Ramirez and then he’s gonna slide down that hill and become that fighter again. That’s what my guts telling me.”
