Keyshawn Davis’ Coach Says Brian Norman Jr. Got A Better Haney Deal

Keyshawn Davis’ coach, Dorsett Barnwell, believes his fighter made the right decision by withdrawing from an ordered WBO welterweight title fight against Devin Haney, arguing the $2.1 million purse fell well short of what Davis deserved.

Barnwell repeatedly compared the projected $2.1375 million payday to the reported $3.5 million Brian Norman Jr. was set to receive before his scheduled Haney fight collapsed. In his view, Davis is the bigger attraction and should never have been expected to accept substantially less.

“Brian Norman received 3.5 to fight Devin Haney, but y’all telling me that Brian Norman should get more money than Keyshawn Davis?” he said during an interview with MillCity Boxing.

The comparison overlooks a major distinction. Norman was the reigning WBO welterweight champion. Davis was the mandatory challenger. Once the fight went to a purse bid, WBO rules awarded Haney 75 percent of the winning bid and Davis 25 percent. Top Rank’s winning bid of $8.55 million translated into $6.4125 million for Haney and just over $2.1 million for Davis.

Keyshawn also had less negotiating leverage than his coach suggested. He had missed weight in consecutive fights, including losing his WBO lightweight title on the scales before his scheduled bout with Edwin De Los Santos was canceled. He also has yet to beat a marquee opponent at welterweight.

The trainer maintained Davis understood his market value and refused to accept a purse he believed fell below it.

“These are prize fighters. These men need to get paid what they’re worth. Plain and simple,” he said.

Barnwell’s position is that Davis’ popularity justified a substantially larger payday. Critics counter that his status as the mandatory challenger, the WBO’s purse split, recent weight issues, and lack of a marquee victory left him with far less bargaining power than a reigning champion like Norman.