Brian Norman Jr. to Defend WBO Title in Japan Against Sasaki

Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr., the youngest male world champion in boxing, is preparing for a major international challenge. The undefeated 24-year-old will defend his WBO welterweight world title against Jin Sasaki of Japan on Thursday, June 19, at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

This marks Norman's second title defense, and he’s making the long journey — nearly 7,000 miles — for his first fight on foreign soil since 2019. Sasaki (19-1-1, 17 KOs), one of Japan’s most dangerous knockout artists, has fought most of his 21 professional bouts in his home country, making this a significant home advantage for him.

In the co-main event, Cristian Araneta (25-2, 20 KOs) faces Thanongsak Simsri (38-1, 34 KOs) for the vacant IBF junior flyweight world title. Additionally, Japanese prodigy Sora Tanaka (3-0, 3 KOs) will take on veteran southpaw Takeru Kobata (14-7-1, 6 KOs) for the vacant OPBF welterweight title in a 12-round bout.

The full card, featuring Norman-Sasaki, Araneta-Simsri, and Tanaka-Kobata, will be streamed live exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Norman’s Rise to the Top

Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) has had a meteoric rise, having fought 13 times in Mexico early in his career, with nine of those before his 18th birthday. His time in Mexico helped sharpen his skills and set him on the path to world-title contention. After making his Top Rank debut in early 2023, Norman started gaining major attention with highlight-reel knockouts.

His breakthrough moment came last May when he shocked the boxing world by stopping hometown hero Giovani Santillan in 10 rounds to claim the WBO interim welterweight title. Norman’s performance earned him the full title when Terence Crawford moved up to junior middleweight. In his first defense, Norman delivered a dominant third-round TKO over Derrieck Cuevas in March.

Sasaki’s Streak and Rising Threat

Sasaki, a relentless power puncher, has been on a tear since moving up to welterweight. With an impressive six-fight knockout streak, including notable wins over Keita Obara and Joe Noynay, Sasaki captured the WBO Asia Pacific title with a first-round stoppage of Ryota Toyoshima in January 2023. He’s since defended that title five times. Most recently, Sasaki went the distance for the first time, winning a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai on the undercard of Naoya Inoue’s January bout.

“Brian Norman Jr. is a motivated and talented champion who didn’t hesitate when offered this opportunity,” said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank. “Sasaki’s power and volume will make for an action-packed title fight.”

Norman’s Bold Statement

The young champion is more than ready for the challenge.

“The king from the South comes to take over the world,” Norman declared. “I like how that sounds. On June 19, I’m ready to put on a stellar performance and add another chapter to ‘The Norman Experience.’”

Stream the Action Live

For fans in the U.S., the action will be live-streamed exclusively on ESPN+. This is a must-watch event as two rising stars in the welterweight division clash on the world stage.