After his April bout with Ryan Garcia was ruled a no-contest due to Garcia testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine, Devin Haney is taking no chances ahead of his next fight. With new doping cases surfacing, like those involving Francisco Rodriguez Jr. and light heavyweight Imam Khataev, who recently tested positive for Clomifene according to the International Testing Agency (ITA), Haney is determined to maintain a level playing field. Set to face WBO World Welterweight champion Brian Norman on November 22 at ANB Arena in Riyadh, The Dream has signed up with VADA for enhanced drug testing.
On top of it, with Matchroom Boxing confirming that Francisco Rodriguez Jr. is now under investigation, Haney has taken a public stance on fighter accountability. He recently wrote on X, “Boxers should [be] obligated to do 365 testing,” and has now directed the same demand toward his opponent. But when Brian Norman reportedly refused testing for the time being, Haney didn’t hold back, suggesting that Norman might be dodging the process and implying he may not be playing clean.
A new update arrived just hours ago, as Devin Haney took to X to respond directly to Brian Norman’s stance on VADA testing. Quoting Norman’s statement, Haney didn’t hold back. “F— your vacation.. u n the biggest fight of your life. VADA can come anywhere n the world. Sign your paperwork like u said did already,” he wrote, sharply criticizing his opponent’s delay. But how did this heated exchange even begin?
Fuck your vacation.. u n the biggest fight of your life. Vada can come anywhere n the world. Sign your paperwork like u said did already.. https://t.co/gPZIggKhHH
— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) July 18, 2025
It all started when Devin Haney’s father, Bill Haney, publicly raised concerns. “We offered to start VADA testing today and even pay for it. Brian Norman Jr. wants to wait until August 1st. If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to delay. Let’s test now,” he said. In response, the 28-0 boxer’s camp explained, “I’m about to go out the country all next week. When I get back it’s damn near August, so I said let’s start then. Your boy will be ok. This will be a clean ass whoopin.” But Haney Sr. wasn’t convinced, interpreting the delay as an attempt to avoid random drug testing.
Doubling down, Bill Haney responded, “You leaving the country don’t stop no d–g test, champ. VADA go everywhere. You know that. We offered to start today and even pay for it. But now you talking about August and vacations?” What began as a procedural disagreement has quickly escalated into a war of words, with accusations, tension, and distrust swirling around the build-up to the November 22 showdown. Moreover, it was just last week, that the two nearly came to blows in a hotel lobby.
Brian Norman Jr. vows KO after heated Devin Haney run-in
The quiet streets near Times Square erupted into chaos when a routine face-off between Brian Norman Jr. and Devin Haney turned into an all-out brawl. What unfolded looked more like WWE than WBC. Haney’s security charged into the scene, ripping his white T-shirt and dragging him down as if detaining a suspect in a street scuffle. While the altercation looked intense on camera, Norman Jr. emerged unscathed, brushing it off with a laugh and referring to himself as “a casualty in the midst” of someone else’s nerves.
Despite the drama, the Conyers-born champion believes the incident revealed something deeper about Haney’s camp. “We just good people, come in, shake hands and show teeth… I think they might be a little nervous. I don’t know what it is,” he said, implying the melee cracked the calm, polished image Haney typically presents. For Norman, the scuffle didn’t add fuel to the fire, it merely confirmed what he already believed. “It was already gonna be what it was… So, this just set it in stone. But it was already gonna be a knockout.”
With an unbeaten record and 22 knockouts out of 28 fights, Norman Jr. is definitely showing what he’s all about. It remains to be seen if Devin Haney’s smooth defense can handle that level of power, or if the altercation in Times Square was just a preview of what’s ahead, as the outcome will unfold under the bright lights in Riyadh. So, the big question is, will Devin Haney step up his game and meet the challenge, or is he getting closer to tasting defeat for the first time in his pro career? What’s your take on it?
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