WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. feels like the underdog going into his title defense against Derriek Cuevas this Saturday, March 29th, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Las Vegas.
Underdog Driven
Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) is one of those fighters who has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove himself to the many people who don’t know about him or have doubts about his ability to compete at the highest levels.
The 24-year-old Norman Jr. will defend against Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a 12-round chief support bout on the Mikaela Mayer vs. Sandy Ryan 2 rematch card. Brian last fought on May 18th last year, knocking out Giovani Santillan in the tenth round.
It’s taken Norman Jr. almost an entire year to get back in the ring finally. He had wanted to fight a unification match with IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, but they couldn’t agree on the money.
Saturday’s event will be shown live on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. PT.
Complete card
Mikaela Mayer vs. Sandy Ryan 2
Brian Norman Jr. vs. Derrieck Cuevaas
Bruce Carrington vs. Jose Enrique Vivas
Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Giovannie Gonzalez
Tiger Johnson vs. Kendo Castañeda
Dedrick Crocklem vs. Dionne Ruvalcaba
Emmanuel Chance vs. Miguel Guzman
‘Kill Shot’ Promise
“Even if he ain’t got nothing to lose. What I ain’t got nothing to lose either?” said Brian Norman Jr. to The Faces of Boxing Podcast TV about his opponent, Derreck Cuevas on Saturday. “That’s how it was in my last fight. So, I know that feeling. I’m still like an underdog now.
“My pops was the assassin. I’m the second coming off the assassin, but I took that to heart. Once I sign that contract, I’ve got to terminate you. I will hit you with a kill shot. In the gym, I seen me.
I’m going to go out, show out, do our thing, knocks some heads off, and I might pose on him if I feel like it,’ said Norman Jr. about the possibility of him posing in front of Cuevas if he knocks him out like he did his last opponent, Giovani Santillan. I’m going to take over this whole division and take over his whole world.
Last Updated on 03/27/2025
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