On June 19, at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, WBO World Welterweight Champion Bryan Norman Jr. (USA) — 27 wins (21 KOs), no losses, 2 no contests — will defend his title against No. 2 ranked Jin Sasaki (Hachioji Nakaya Gym, Japan) — 19 wins (17 KOs), 1 loss, 1 draw. Ahead of his arrival in Japan, Norman Jr. has signed a multi-year extension with Fighters First Management, with whom he originally signed three years ago.
“I’m grateful for everything Fighters First has done for me. It’s been a long three years, but it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. I’ve been training since I was seven years old, and I never imagined I’d be where I am at 24. I’m living the dream I envisioned. From here, I can only imagine how far I’ll go,” said Norman Jr.
Fighters First Management is led by President Jolene Mizzone (USA), who previously served as Vice President at Kathy Duva’s Main Events for ten years. The management company has also partnered with notable fighters such as heavyweight contender Otto Wallin (Sweden) — 27 wins (15 KOs), 2 losses, 1 no contest — and WBO No. 14 and WBC No. 15 ranked lightweight Justin Pauldo (USA) — 18 wins (9 KOs), 2 losses.
No. 3 Melikuziev vs. No. 4 Fulgham – WBA Super Middleweight Title Eliminator
The WBA Super Middleweight World Title Eliminator between No. 3 ranked Bektemir Melikuziev (Uzbekistan) — 15 wins (10 KOs), 1 loss — and No. 4 ranked Darius Fulghum (USA) — 14 wins (12 KOs), undefeated — has been officially scheduled as the main event of a Golden Boy Promotions card. The fight will take place on May 30 (May 31 Japan time) at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and will be broadcast on DAZN.
Melikuziev, a silver medalist in the middleweight division at the Rio 2016 Olympics, made a strong start to his professional career with a string of victories after his debut in June 2019. However, in June 2021, he suffered a shocking third-round knockout loss to Gabriel Rosado (USA) — 26 wins (15 KOs), 17 losses, 1 draw, 1 no contest. He avenged that loss in a dominant decision win in their April 2023 rematch. On November 2, 2023 (November 3 Japan time), at the same Las Vegas venue, Melikuziev won a 12-round split decision over then-No. 10 ranked David Stevens (USA) — 14 wins (10 KOs), 2 losses — in another WBA title eliminator.
Fulghum, who was the No. 1 ranked U.S. heavyweight as an amateur and won the 2018 Golden Gloves National Championship, continued his unbeaten streak with a powerful performance on February 15 (February 16 Japan time) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. There, he scored a KO in 4 rounds and 2 minutes 18 seconds against Winfred Harris Jr. (USA) — 22 wins (10 KOs), 3 losses, 2 draws. While not known for finesse, Fulghum boasts overwhelming power and remains undefeated.
No. 3 Melikuziev vs. No. 4 Fulghum – WBA Super Middleweight Title Eliminator
The WBA Super Middleweight World Title Eliminator between No. 3 ranked Bektemir Melikuziev (Uzbekistan) — 15 wins (10 KOs), 1 loss — and No. 4 ranked Darius Fulghum (USA) — 14 wins (12 KOs), undefeated — has been officially scheduled as the main event of a Golden Boy Promotions card. The fight will take place on May 30 (May 31 Japan time) at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on DAZN.
Melikuziev, a silver medalist in the middleweight division at the 2016 Rio Olympics, had a strong start to his professional career after debuting in June 2019. However, he suffered a major setback in June 2021 when he was knocked out in the third round by Gabriel Rosado (USA) — 26 wins (15 KOs), 17 losses, 1 draw, 1 no contest. Melikuziev avenged that defeat in April 2023 with a dominant decision win. On November 2, 2023 (November 3 Japan time), at the same Las Vegas venue, he earned a split decision victory over then-No. 10 ranked David Stevens (USA) — 14 wins (10 KOs), 2 losses — in another 12-round title eliminator.
Fulghum, who was the No. 1 ranked U.S. amateur in the heavyweight division and won the 2018 Golden Gloves national title, remains unbeaten in the pros. On February 15 (February 16 Japan time), at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, he scored a knockout at 2:18 of the fourth round against Winfred Harris Jr. (USA) — 22 wins (10 KOs), 3 losses, 2 draws. While his boxing style may lack finesse, Fulghum’s overwhelming power has carried him to an unblemished record so far.
Bryan Norman Jr., one of America’s next superstar prospects, is coming to Japan to defend his title against Japan’s Jin Sasaki. It’s the first time in about 36 years that a reigning welterweight world champion has visited Japan. Seeing Bryan Norman Jr. in person might just be a worthwhile investment in the future.
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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