Following a decisive victory over Jin Sasaki, Brian Norman Jr. is quickly lining up his next challenge. The fighter from Georgia has agreed to an offer to defend his WBO welterweight title against Devin Haney, a move seen as his most significant test yet.
Norman Jr. initially secured the WBO interim welterweight title by stopping Giovani Santillan last year. He was later elevated to full world champion status after Terence Crawford vacated his titles and moved up in weight.
This year, Norman Jr. has successfully defended his belt twice, achieving knockout wins against Derrieck Cuevas in the third round and Jin Sasaki in the fifth. The young champion now appears poised to advance further in his career.
Norman Jr. has reportedly accepted an offer from Bill Haney to fight Devin Haney under the same terms he sought during previous unsuccessful negotiations with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
He was quoted saying, “Yes, I will take the same deal… What did [Devin Haney] get hit with? That boy got hit with a brick, and y`all know what I carry in these hands, right? We have just got to see what happens in the future regarding that fight, but I am down for anything.”
Reports suggest a potential clash between Norman Jr. and Haney could take place in Riyadh before the end of the year. The card might also feature Abdullah Mason against Sam Noakes for the WBO lightweight title in the co-main event.
This developing possibility has seemingly diminished the chances of a rematch between Haney and Ryan Garcia happening later this year, especially following Garcia’s unexpected loss to Rolly Romero, which complicated his immediate future.
