Exciting Welterweight Showdown
In an exciting bout set to take place at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. will face Japanese challenger Jin Sasaki this Thursday. Norman, who currently holds an impressive record of 27 victories with 21 knockouts, aims to defend his title for the second time at just 24 years old. The Decatur, Georgia native previously claimed the championship after clinching the WBO interim title by defeating Giovani Santillan in May 2024 and secured his first title defense with a third-round TKO against Derrieck Cuevas on March 29.
Jin Sasaki: The Rising Star
On the other hand, Jin Sasaki, a rising star in the welterweight class with a record standing at 19 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, boasts 17 knockouts to his name. Since moving up to the welterweight category, the 23-year-old contender has yet to taste defeat across his last nine outings. His most recent appearance was in January, where he achieved a unanimous decision victory over Shoki Sakai, marking the first time he went the full 12 rounds in a fight.
Additional Matchups to Anticipate
In addition to the main event featuring Norman and Sasaki, boxing fans can look forward to watching Cristian Araneta and Thanongsak Simsri compete for the vacated IBF junior flyweight title in the co-main event on the same card. Another highlight includes a 12-round clash for the vacant OPBF title, where Sora Tanaka will go toe-to-toe with southpaw Takeru Kobata.
Broadcast Information
This boxing event is set to be broadcast live on ESPN+, with the main card commencing at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. To experience all the thrilling matchups and updates, fans can visit the dedicated Top Rank Boxing streaming hub available on ESPN and Disney+. Additionally, boxing enthusiasts looking for more comprehensive content can explore ESPN’s boxing hub page for the latest updates, rankings, and features.
