Brian Norman Jr. has a long road ahead if he wants a second crack at Devin Haney, and taking out Abel Ramos on December 19 is merely step one. With Haney eyeing massive paydays elsewhere, Norman must string together dominant wins to convince the public that a return bout would play out any differently.

“Handle your business, and you might get what you’re looking for again,” said Bill Haney on social media, aiming the message squarely at Brian Norman Sr.

Norman (29-1, 23 KOs) meets Ramos (29-6-3, 22 KOs) in a 10-round co-feature at Chase Center in San Francisco. Haney headlines against IBF champion Liam Paro, targeting another belt to sit alongside the WBO strap he lifted from Norman last November on DAZN PPV.

Bill left plenty of wiggle room. Even a destructive win over Ramos does not guarantee a return date, especially if Haney handles Paro and targets full unification. Norman likely needs multiple statement victories to build real commercial appeal.

Ramos alone will not create that demand. The real opening is the platform: fighting directly in front of Haney’s crowd and proving that the glaring flaws from the first encounter have been corrected.

Norman looked gun-shy after eating an early flash knockdown he never saw coming. He spent round after round letting Haney flick the jab at will from distance, failing to make the fight ugly or cut the ring. By the time Norman showed genuine urgency in the championship rounds, the scorecards were long gone.

The blueprint for a return requires relentless, disciplined pressure from the opening bell. Norman cannot surrender minutes watching Haney reset behind the jab and dictate the terms of engagement. He has to march inside behind hard combinations, force Haney into sustained defensive shells, and stay alert to incoming counters.

Norman must also solve the clinching problem. Haney repeatedly tied him up inside to stall offensive rhythm before sliding back out to safety. Norman was far too passive in those moments, content to wait for the referee to separate them.

David Haye understood how to make fighters pay for holding. Instead of waiting around, Haye would free an arm and unload rapid, clubbing headshots over the top to force guys to let go. Norman needs that exact type of spite: cracking Haney with fast, cuffing punches around the guard the second he reaches in, continuing to fire until the referee breaks them up.

That approach might not stop the holding completely, but it punishes the tactic. Tying up a fighter who continues to batter the body burns far more stamina than holding someone who politely stands still. Norman has to turn every clinch into an exhausting chore.

Ramos provides a live test for that engine. He dropped Mario Barrios in their spirited draw and handed Tahmir Smalls his first career defeat. Norman bounced back by halting Josh Wagner, but Ramos will force him to stay sharp under fire.

A win over Ramos will not erase questions about how Norman handles the jab and grab. Stringing together stoppages over seasoned contenders is his only route to forcing Haney back into the ring.

The fathers can talk all they want. Norman has to show in the ring that he can make Haney fight instead of coasting.