Latest news with #BrianNormanJr
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
WBO welterweight champion leaves rival unconscious with brutal ‘KO of the year' contender
BRIAN NORMAN JR scored one of the knockouts of the year during a championship fight. The 24-year-old was fighting to retain his WBO welterweight title against Jin Sasaki in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday. 3 3 And during round five, The Assassin II landed a brutal left hook squarely on his opponent's face as he left his guard down. Norman Jr had managed to knock down his Japanese rival twice in the opening stages. However, his round five hit saw Sasaki left flattened on the canvas. Medical staff rushed into the ring to treat the 23-year-old as he was laid out for over a minute. He was then placed on a stretcher and rushed to hospital. A status update on him was not provided in the immediate aftermath of contest. Reacting to the punch on social media, one boxing fan said: "Ko of the year." A second said: "This has to be ko of the year so far right?" A third added: "Man…that is CLEAN." Another said: "Perfect KO punch." The win saw Norman Jr improve to 28-0 with this being his 22nd knockout. Norman Jr became the interim WBO welterweight champion after beating Giovani Santillan last May. He was then elevated to full champion status when Terence Crawford vacated the belt to move up to super welterweight. Derrieck Cuevas challenged for the belt in March of this year but was also defeated by Norman Jr via TKO. Meanwhile, Sasaki - a relatively unknown quantity going into the bout - fell to 19-2-1, having previously been stopped in 2021 by Andy Hiraoka in a Japanese superlightweight title fight. Norman Jr now has his eyes set on unification bouts for the division. An all-American fight with IBF and WBA champion Jaron Ennis had been on the cards until Ennis declared his intention to move up to 154lbs. Speaking about a potential clash with Ennis, Norman Jr had said: "About the future, I wish I had a certain fight coming up, but they heard there was a storm coming." "And you all know what happens when a storm is coming, you grab your boots and run. "We shall see what is next for me. Hopefully October or November, we can get something, but we shall see."
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Norman Jr stops Sasaki with one-punch knockout
Brian Norman Jr stopped Derrieck Cuevas (right) to win the WBO world title in March [Getty Images] Brian Norman Jr retained his WBO welterweight world title by stopping Jin Sasaki with one explosive punch in Tokyo. The American dropped Sasaki twice in the first round and the one-way traffic continued once the challenger rose quickly to his feet. Advertisement Sasaki, 23, tried to fight fire with fire in front of his home crowd, but that approach was punished in the fifth when Norman Jr landed a powerful left hook. The shot put Sasaki out cold and the Japanese fighter was worked on by medics for several minutes, before being taken out of the ring on a stretcher. It meant Norman stood alone in the ring without his opponent as the official result was read out. The 24-year-old extended his unbeaten record to 28-0, adding his 22nd knockout and his third stoppage in a row. The Georgia native is eager to add more world titles to his collection after a knockout of the year contender. Advertisement Norman Jr did have his sights set on fighting IBF and WBA champion Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, but his domestic rival confirmed this week he intended to move up in weight. "I wish I had a certain fight coming up," he said afterwards. "But they heard B Norman the Storm was coming. Y'all know what happens when a storm's coming, they grab their boots and run. "We shall see what's next for me, hopefully October or November." More boxing from the BBC
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Norman Jr stops Sasaki with one-punch knockout
Brian Norman Jr retained his WBO welterweight world title by stopping Jin Sasaki with one explosive punch in American dropped Sasaki twice in the first round and the one-way traffic continued once the challenger rose quickly to his 23, tried to fight fire with fire in front of his home crowd, but that approach was punished in the fifth when Norman Jr landed a powerful left shot put Sasaki out cold and the Japanese fighter was worked on by medics for several minutes, before being taken out of the ring on a meant Norman stood alone in the ring without his opponent as the official result was read 24-year-old extended his unbeaten record to 28-0, adding his 22nd knockout and his third stoppage in a Georgia native is eager to add more world titles to his collection after a knockout of the year Jr did have his sights set on fighting IBF and WBA champion Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, but his domestic rival confirmed this week he intended to move up in weight."I wish I had a certain fight coming up," he said afterwards."But they heard B Norman the Storm was coming. Y'all know what happens when a storm's coming, they grab their boots and run."We shall see what's next for me, hopefully October or November."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki: How to watch Top Rank boxing match, full fight card and more
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. is in Tokyo this week to defend his title against Jin Sasaki, here's how you can tune in. () Atlanta native and WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. will attempt to defend his title when he goes head-to-head against Japan's Jin Sasaki in a 12-round headlining bout this Thursday. The match will take place at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan and will also feature a title match between Cristian Araneta and Thanongsak Simsri who are vying for the IBF junior flyweight title. Prelims will be available on ESPN+ starting at 4 a.m. ET, and the main fight begins at 7 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Norman vs. Sasaki fight, including the full fight card and how you can stream every match. How to watch the Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki fight: Date: Thursday, June 19, 2025 Advertisement Undercard start time: 4 a.m. ET Fight time (approximate): main event ringwalks at approx. 7 a.m. ET TV channel/streaming: ESPN+ (Prelims and main fight card) When is the Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki fight? The Norman vs. Sasaki bout will take place on Thursday, June 19 in Tokyo. The event will begin bright and early at 4 a.m. ET. What channel is the Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki fight on? The Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki fight will be available exclusively on ESPN+. The undercard starts at 4 a.m. ET, while the main ringwalks are expected to begin at 7 a.m. ET. Where to watch the Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki fight: Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki fight card
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Where is Josh Taylor positioned in the welterweight division?
This is Taylor's first fight at welterweight after consecutive losses to Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez at 140lbs. The 34-year-old will be hoping for an accelerated run towards a world title given his status as a former undisputed champion. First, he will have to get through a veteran welterweight in Essuman to establish himself in the division. With that in mind, we break down where Taylor is currently positioned at welterweight and who his obstacles to becoming a two-weight world champion are. Watch Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman exclusively with a DAZN subscription. . The kings of the welterweight division The welterweight division is currently topped by three champions: Brian Norman Jr (WBO), Jaron Ennis (WBA, IBF and The Ring) and Mario Barrios (WBC). Norman Jr, 27-0 (21), had his interim title elevated to full champion status after Terence Crawford vacated to fight at super welterweight in 2024. He has since defended his belt against Derrick Cuevas in March of this year and is scheduled to fight the number 2 ranked Jin Sasaki on the 19th of June in Tokyo. Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, 34-0 (30), is the unified welterweight champion, in possession of The Ring, WBA and IBF world titles. Ennis' interim title was upgraded in 2023 when Crawford was stripped by the IBF for not agreeing to fight the Philadelphia man as his mandatory. After defending his title by forcing David Avenesyan to retire, he had a unification bout with Eimantas Stanionis in April this year, claiming his WBA belt and the vacant The Ring championship. Mario Barrios, 29-2-1 (18), was also a beneficiary of Crawford vacating his welterweight titles, becoming a fully-fledged champion in June 2024. He has only fought once since, in a draw with Abel Ramos six months ago in Texas. He will defend his WBC title in a controversial fight against the 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao in July. Where is Taylor Ranked? With a well-established hierarchy in the welterweight division after the chaos of Crawford's departure, where is the Scot ranked as a welterweight? BoxRec have Taylor ranked at number four among the British welterweights behind Jack Catterall, Lewis Crocker and Harlem Eubank. Among the four major organisations, the former undisputed super lightweight champion has been ranked just outside the top ten with the WBO, the title he last held before losing to Teofimo Lopez, and the WBC, who both place him at number eleven. Although winning this fight could be the key to unlock world title opportunities at welterweight, Taylor is not looking past Essuman, admitting it will be a challenging debut at welterweight. Taylor told ESPN: "Get the win this weekend then I'm in the mix for some big fights at welterweight, but I'm not thinking about that because Ekow's a very tough test," he explains. He's tried and Commonwealth and British champion so I'll have my hands full."
