In what should come as no surprise after Eddie Hearn’s earlier comments, Top Rank’s Carl Morretti tells Dan Rafael that talks of a unification between IBF welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis and WBO titlist Brian Norman Jr are “dead over money.” Instead, Norman will meet no. 7 contender Derrieck Cuevas on ESPN’s November 8th Keyshawn Davis vs Gustavo Lemos show.
Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KO) has competed all over the North and Latin American scenes throughout his decade-long career, though he’s yet to notch a noteworthy win in the process. He did contrive to lose a six-rounder to Damian Ezequiel Bonelli in 2020 on the heels of a year-long layoff, making him currently the sole victory of Bonelli’s last 14 bouts.
Norman (26-0, 20 KO) has admittedly come out flat in the past, but after watching him work over the very dangerous Giovani Santillan in May, it’s hard to sell Cuevas as a credible threat.