The welterweight division is set to get a burst of fresh energy in the form of Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
The two former super-lightweight rivals are on a rematch collision course following their controversial first bout last year. Garcia – who weighed in three pounds over the limit so was ineligible to win Haney’s belt – upset the odds massively, dropping the champion three times on his way to a decision win.
That was promptly overturned when it was found that he had twice tested positive for a banned substance. With his suspension over in April, Garcia makes the move to the 147 ranks in May against Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero. On the same card is Haney’s debut in the division against Jose Ramirez.
Should both come through victorious, a rematch is slated for October. One world champion waiting for them on the other side is Brian Norman Jr.
Speaking to FightHype.com, Norman said that Haney, Garcia and Teofimo Lopez, who is also expected to move up from 140, will ‘have no choice’ but to face him if they want to get to the very top of the division.
“[There’s] no choice. It’s bound to happen no matter what. Everybody wants to come up to 147 right now. I’m a champion, I’m about to keep knocking everybody’s head off and I’m gonna keep boxing everybody in where it’s like, I’m gonna be undisputed, you have no choice but to fight me. Plain and simple.
“If I have all the belts and you want to become a champion at 147, there’s only one thing you can do, which is fight me. So no matter what the fights have to happen.”
Norman is undefeated in 26 with 20 knockouts. He will put his WBO belt on the line against number 11 ranked Derrieck Cuevas next month before targetting either the big fights mentioned above or unifications with the likes of Mario Barrios or the winner of Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis.
