Brian Norman Jr. (Hand) Injured, Forced To Postpone WBO Title Defense Versus Derrieck Cuevas

The show will go on even without its lone major title fight.

The Ring has confirmed that Brian Norman Jr. will no longer appear on the Nov. 8 ESPN show at The Scope Aren in Norfolk, Virginia. A hand injury suffered during training camp forced the unbeaten WBO welterweight titlist out of a defense versus Derrieck Cuevas.

Norman-Cuevas was due to co-headline the show. Fight Freaks Unite’s Dan Rafael first reported that the bout will be rescheduled for the first quarter of 2025.

The rest of the event—which The Ring has learned has sold out all of its first-run tickets—will move forward. Locally-based Keyshawn Davis (11-0, 7 knockouts) will face Argentina’s Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout. It is the first hometown affair for the 2020 Olympic Silver medalist and The Ring’s No. 7-rated lightweight.

Norman (26-0, 20 KOs), The Ring’s No. 5-rated welterweight, was recently upgraded to full WBO titleholder. He won an interim version of the belt in a May 18 tenth-round knockout of Giovani Santillan.

There were well-publicized talks between Norman and IBF titlist Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs). It comes across more as posturing, though Ennis was in need of a better opponent. The Ring’s No. 1-rated welterweight was ordered to face mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian in an unnecessary rematch to his Jan. 2023 shutout win.

Norman held out for as much as his team thought the unbeaten Georgia native was worth. When Ennis and Matchroom Boxing could not hit that figure, Norman moved onto the bird already in hand—a slot on Davis’ undercard.

He will now have to wait for his first title defense. The forthcoming rescheduled affair will also mark Cuevas’ first career title fight.

Top Rank officials were not in a position to comment on the development since the news is not (yet) official. However, The Ring has learned that the likely candidate for a new co-feature will come from within the scheduled lineup, provided the right upgrade can take place in the coming days.

Davis aims to restore the Norfolk boxing tradition once established by the late Hall of Fame great Pernell Whitaker during the 1980s and 1990s.

Whitaker played the Scope Arena ten times, including a revenge-fueled Aug. 1989 win over Jose Luis Ramirez to avenge his controversial first career defeat. His final fight there was a repeat win over James ‘Buddy’ McGirt to defend his lineal and WBC welterweight championship in Oct. 1994.

Hall of Fame former Ring/lineal heavyweight champion Larry Holmes had the final fight of his legendary career at Scope Arena. It came in a July 2002 decision win over Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch.

Davis was dominant in a ten-round, unanimous decision over Miguel Madueno (31-3, 28 KOs) on July 6 in Newark, New Jersey. The Ring’s No. 7-rated lightweight served in supporting capacity to longtime friend and three-division titlist Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs).

Five months prior, he battered faded former two-division titlist Jose Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs). That bout took place on Top Rank’s pre-Super Bowl card in Las Vegas.

‘The Businessman’ now commands the top spot as he makes his run towards a lightweight title.

He will endure his toughest test to date, at least on paper.

Argentina’s Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) was unlucky to have suffered his lone defeat in his most recent fight.

The 28-year-old from Argentina provided fits for Brooklyn’s Richardson Hitchins, who claimed an unpopular decision in their April 6 DAZN main event in Las Vegas. Most viewers and those in attendance felt Lemos deserved the nod in their IBF 140-pound title eliminator.

Lemos will fight stateside for the second straight time. His proposed bout versus Davis will mark a return to lightweight.

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