Boxing Results: Brian Norman Jr. Demolishes Derrieck Cuevas With Devastating Third-Round Knockout, Retains WBO Welterweight Title

WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs) showed tonight that he may be #1 guy in the 147 division with his third round technical knockout win over Derrieck Cuevas (27-2-1, 19 KOs) at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Las Vegas.

(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

Norman Jr. started off slowly in the first round, taking some big shots from the heavy-handed Cuevas. In the second round, Norman Jr. began landing big left hooks, shaking up Cuevas.

Norman Jr. went after Cuevas in the third round, landing a big left hook on the jab that stunned the challenger. Derriek looked like he wasn’t all there after that shot. Norman Jr, 24, then pounced on him, throwing a right hand followed by a powerful left hook, causing Cuevas to lose his footing and fall to the canvas.

Cuevas’s Surrender

When Cuevas got up, he ignored the referee’s commands to turn and face him to show that he was ready to continue. It was as if Cuevas had made up his mind that he didn’t want to fight anymore. He walked to straight to his corner. The referee, Thomas Taylor, halted the fight. The time was 2:59 in the third.

Norman Jr.’s performance showed that he may be the best fighter in the welterweight division right now and too much for the other champions, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, Eimantas Stanionis, or Mario Barrios. Norman Jr. has too much power in his shots, and he would take advantage of Ennis’s leaky defense to give him problems.

Brian Jr. looked scarily good tonight, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Boots Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, chooses to keep him permanently away from him by giving lowball offers for a unification fight.

That’s a tactical way promoters let other fighters know they’re not interested in letting them fight their guys. Norman Jr. would mess up the hype that Boots has built up in his career and ruin Hearn’s investment.