“I can only take what’s next in front of me,” Norman told Ring Magazine when asked about the biggest names in the division. “I’m sure these guys, they’ll still be there whenever that time comes.”
Norman closed the answer by saying that he will run the business on May 16th and accept whatever is offered after that.
“Whatever is put on the table next, I’ll take it. I don’t care who it is.”
That loss to Devin Haney in November took his WBO title, and it seems to have taken a piece of his fighting spirit, too. It’s a complete 180 from the “Savage” man he took to Saudi Arabia.
When Malik Scott pressed him for words, the broken spirit was probably a lingering effect of the actual check Haney handed him.
To be knocked out in the second round and then chased around the ring for 12 rounds by someone who many thought was damaged goods after the Ryan Garcia fight must have been a huge mental blow.
The May 16 fight against Josh Wagner is a bookend for a fighter who relies on him in the basement. Wagner is a solid professional, but he’s not in the same stratosphere as the names Norman was previously dismissing.
Norman sits as a huge 1/20 favourite. This fight is all about knocking him out so he can remember what it’s like to win.
It’s amazing to hear the young fighter who used to say “take whatever is on the table.” In boxing, that’s usually code for “I’m not sure I’m on top yet.”
If he’s struggling with Wagner in Norfolk, or even if he’s winning but looking unconcerned, that’s the assertive, confident version of Brian Norman Jr. it may go forever.
May 16 is less about Josh Wagner and more about Norman proving to himself, and his trainer, that he is not permanently damaged by the Haney loss.
Norman Jr.’s version. what we saw in Riyadh was not visible in the person who dismissed Giovani Santillan. When Haney dropped him in the second, it felt like the “Savage” persona evaporated instantly, replaced by a fighter who was in the mood for survival.
The octopus riding from Haney was really frustrating to watch, but the real problem: Norman Jr. he had no dog with him that night to fight him. Instead of using his strength to chase Haney or work the body during the catch, he just stood there and let Haney cut his offense repeatedly.
That defeated power is why Wagner’s fight on May 16 is such an obvious plan. If Norman Jr. being afraid to pin a guy like Haney, who isn’t exactly known as a one-punch KO artist, is a huge red flag when he ends up facing a real puncher like Ennis or the heavyweight Benn.
In boxing, if a fighter is undefeated and they show that that shy team rarely wins once. It’s usually a new plan for every opponent.
The Battle of Norfolk is clearly an attempt by his team to see if they can find lost aggression in a low-risk environment. Wagner has 10 KOs, but he won’t want the respect that the top guys do.
If Norman Jr. coming out on May 16 and still looking tentative, waiting for Wagner to take the lead or fail to initiate a trade, then we’ll know for sure that Haney’s fight didn’t just cost him his belt, it cost him who he is.
It’s one thing to lose a decision, but it’s another thing to lose your edge and start feeling like you’re happy to be there.
