WBO middleweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and challenger Jin Sasaki both successfully participated in their 12-round headlines in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, June 19.
(Credit: Naoki Fukuda)
Sasaki, 23, secured the fight by meeting Norman Jr. and politely seeking opportunities. Currency-wise, Brian has gained enough in fighting, but that doesn’t help him gain popularity among fans. Americans are not familiar with Sasaki, and Thursday’s event’s 4:00 AM ET broadcast time means the boxing public won’t see it widely in the United States.
Norman Jr. (27-0, 21 KOS) chose this battle with Sasaki (19-1-1, 17 KOS) in a unified match against IBF and WBA middleweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. It was obviously a better fight for Norman, but the risk was much higher than the security strike against Sasaki.
Norman Jr.
The battle for Norman JR-Sasaki on Thursday will be held at the OTA City General Stadium in Tokyo. The event will be displayed live on PT at 4:00 am/1:00 pm ET. Headlines Battle Will Be Around 7:15 AM ET/4:15 AM PT
Tokyo’s full weight
– Brian Norman Jr. – 146.8 vs. Jin Sasaki – 146.8
– Sora Tanaka 146.8 vs Takeru Kobata 146.8
– Yuya Oku 125.4 vs Reiya Abe 125.7
-Cristian Araneta 107.6 vs. Thanongsak Simsri 107.4
This would have the advantage of the motherland for Sasaki, which might not be enough to help him. Norman Jr. is trying to strike, and he hopes his opponents can fight actively. So if Sassaki wanted to join the war, Jr. Norman would be happy to accommodate him.
Sasaki has a 78% elimination rate, but his stop win is against fewer opposition. He can certainly punch holes, but he is slow. Sasaki hasn’t fought top contenders in his career, but the WBO still gives him second place. His ranking should be much lower, but WBO has its reasons.
Last updated on June 18, 20125
