“I could just take whatever came in front of me next,” Norman told Ring Magazine when asked about the bigger names being discussed in the division. “I’m pretty sure these guys, they’ll still be here whenever that time comes.”
Norman concluded the reply by saying he would deal with matters on May 16 and then accept whatever was 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 as well. It’s a complete 180 from the “Savage” persona he wore to Saudi Arabia.
When Malik Scott pressed him for names, the broken spirit was likely the lingering result of the reality check Haney gave him.
Getting dropped in the second round and then being chased around the ring for 12 rounds by a guy most people thought was damaged goods after the Ryan Garcia fight has to be a massive psychological blow.
The May 16 fight against Josh Wagner is textbook matchup for a fighter whose confidence is in the basement. Wagner is a strong enough pro, but he’s not in the same stratosphere as the names Norman has rejected before.
Norman sits as a massive 1/20 favourite. This fight is about getting him a knockout so he can remember what winning feels like.
It’s shocking to hear a young fighter who used to be so vocal suddenly sound content to just “take whatever’s on the table.” In boxing, that’s usually code for “I’m not sure I belong upstairs yet.”
If he struggles at all with Wagner in Norfolk, or even if he wins but looks tentative, that confident version of Brian Norman Jr. could. be gone forever
May 16 will be less about Josh Wagner and more about Norman proving to himself, and his coach, that he is not permanently damaged by the Haney loss.
The version of Norman Jr. what we saw in Riyadh was unrecognizable from the guy who obliterated Giovani Santillan. When Haney dropped him in the second, it felt like the “Savage” persona instantly evaporated, replaced by a fighter who was strictly in survival mode.
The octopus snapping of Haney was certainly frustrating to watch, but the real problem: Norman Jr. didn’t have the dog in him that night to fight through it. Instead of using his strength to push Haney off or work around the body during the hit, he just stood there and let Haney neutralize his offense over and over again.
That defeated energy is exactly why the Wagner fight on May 16 is such a blatant setup. If Norman Jr. was afraid to punch a guy like Haney, who isn’t exactly known as a devastating one-punch KO artist, that’s a massive red flag for when he ends up facing a real puncher like Ennis or even a heavy-handed Benn.
In boxing, once a fighter’s invincibility is shattered and they show that timid side, it’s rarely a one-off. This usually becomes the new blueprint for each opponent.
The Norfolk fight is clearly an attempt by his team to see if they can find that missing aggression in a low-risk environment. Wagner has ten KOs, but he’s not going to command respect like a top-level elite would.
If Norman Jr. comes out on May 16 and still looks tentative, waiting for Wagner to lead or fail to initiate the exchanges, then we’ll know for sure that the Haney fight didn’t just cost him his belt, it cost him his fighting identity.
It’s one thing to lose a decision, but it’s another to lose your edge and start sounding like you’re just happy to be there.
