Brian Norman Jr. TKO3 Derrieck Cuevas... On the Top Ran show in Las Vegas, Brian Norman Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs) needed about ten minutes of ring action to retain his WBO welterweight title. After about ten months of inactivity, the 24 year-old Norman scored third-round technical knockout win over Puerto Rico's Derrieck Cuevas (27-2-1, 19 KOs). The two traded bombs early, but the threat of each other’s power tempered the exchanges. Norman began pawing with the jab and digging to the body to create openings, and in round two, he buzzed Cuevas with a left hook that triggered a series of shots.  Another left hook in the third dropped Cuevas. He beat the count but failed to respond to referee Tom Taylor’s instructions, prompting the stoppage at 2:59.

 

Norman said, “I feel wonderful. I had a little ring rust to start off, but you saw that I shook that off real quick. I was just getting back into it. I was out for 10 months. So, it was just about getting back into the field and being in front of everybody. As you saw, it wasn’t a struggle at all. Great opponent. Only has one defeat. And you saw what I did to him. I want one of these {other} belts. I see them out here trying to make unification fights. Where’s my little piece at?”