The show will go on even without his only major title fight.
The Ring confirmed that Brian Norman Jr. will no longer appear on the Nov. 8 ESPN show at The Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. A hand injury sustained during training camp forced the undefeated WBO welterweight titleholder out of a defense against Derrieck Cuevas.
Norman-Cuevas would co-head the program. Fight Freaks Unite’s Dan Rafael first reported that the bout would 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 tickets – will move forward. Locally-based Keyshawn Davis (11-0, 7 KOs) will face Argentina’s Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout. This is the first hometown affair for the 2020 Olympic Silver medalist and The Ring’s number 7 rated lightweight.
Norman (26-0, 20 KOs), The Ring’s number 5 rated welterweight, was recently upgraded to full WBO title holder. He won an interim version of the belt in a tenth-round knockout of Giovani Santillan on May 18.
There have been well-publicized talks between Norman and IBF titlist Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs). It comes across as more than posture, although Ennis needed a better opponent. The Ring’s number 1 rated welterweight was ordered to face mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian in an unnecessary rematch following his disqualification win in January 2023.
Norman endured as much as his team thought the undefeated Georgia native was worth. When Ennis and Matchroom Boxing failed to hit that figure, Norman moved to the bird already in the hand—a slot on Davis’ undercard.
He will now have to wait for his first title defense. The upcoming rescheduled affair will also feature Cuevas’ first career title fight.
Top officials were not in a position to comment on the development as 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 happen in the coming days.
Davis aims to restore the Norfolk boxing tradition once established in the 1980s and 1990s by the late Hall of Fame great Pernell Whitaker.
Whitaker played the Scope Arena ten times, including a revenge-driven victory in August 1989 over Jose Luis Ramirez to avenge his controversial first career loss. His last fight there was a replay victory over James ‘Buddy’ McGirt to defend his line and WBC welterweight championship in October 1994.
Hall of Fame former Ring/Linear Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes had the final fight of his storied career at Scope Arena. This came in a July 2002 decision on 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 number 7 rated lightweight served in a supporting capacity for longtime friend and three-division titlist Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs).
Five months earlier, he defeated faded former two-division titlist Jose Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs). That fight took place on Top Rank’s pre-Super Bowl card in Las Vegas.
‘The Businessman’ now holds the top spot as he continues his run for a lightweight title.
He will pass his toughest test yet, at least on paper.
Argentina’s Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) was unfortunate to suffer his lone loss in his most recent fight.
The 28-year-old from Argentina provided matches for Brooklyn’s Richardson Hitchins, who claimed an unpopular decision in their DAZN main event on April 6 in Las Vegas. Most viewers and those in attendance felt Lemos deserved the nod in their IBF 140-pound title eliminator.
Lemos will be running at state for the second straight time. His proposed bout against Davis would be a return to lightweight.
