WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr’s team tells Dan Rafael that their charge, slated to meet Derrieck Cuevas on November 8th, is done for the year after injuring his left hand.
The bout is now targeted for “early 2025.”
Norman (26-0, 20 KO) rocketed into the welterweight elite by smoking Giovani Santillan in May, earning an interim title that later became the real thing after Terence Crawford moved to 154 full-time. The victory also earned him a potential date with Jaron “Boots” Ennis, but Norman turned down a career-high payday to meet unheralded Puerto Rican Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KO).
Losing this matchup is no great tragedy, though it does leave Top Rank in need of a new co-feature for that Friday. Abdullah Mason and Troy Isley are in that evening’s lineup, but both their opponents leave a lot to be desired. At least the main event is still a banger.