FRESH from an authoritative win over Jin Sasaki, Brian Norman Jr. is wasting no time looking for his next opponent. The Georgia boxer has accepted an offer to defend his belt against Devin Haney in his toughest test to date.
Norman halted Giovani Santillan to claim the WBO interim welterweight title last year. Following Terence Crawford’s decision to vacate his belts and move up in weight, Norman Jr was upgraded to full world champion shortly after.
This year, Norman Jr has defended his belt on two occasions, in third and fifth-round knockout wins against Derrieck Cuevas and Jin Sasaki, respectively. Now, boxing’s youngest world champion seems ready to take the next step toward superstardom.
In an interview with Boxing News, Norman Jr accepted Bill Haney’s offer to fight Devin Haney for the same deal that he was pushing for during failed negotiations with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis last year.
“Yes, [I will take the same deal that I wanted to fight Ennis to fight Devin Haney].
“What did Deebo [Devin Haney] get hit with [against Ryan Garcia]? 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,” he added.
Rumours are now circulating that Norman Jr and Haney will collide in Riyadh before the end of the year, with Abdullah Mason possibly facing Sam Noakes for the WBO lightweight crown in the co-main event of the card.
This speculation has all but ended remaining hopes of witnessing Haney rematch Ryan Garcia later in the calendar, with Garcia’s upset defeat against Rolly Romero appearing to have spoiled those plans and left ‘King Ryan’ in no man’s land.
