Brian Norman Jnr isn’t just eyeing his next opponent—he’s measuring himself against the welterweight division’s elite. Norman, the undefeated WBO welterweight titleholder from Conyers, Georgia, recently found himself sidelined due to an injury that forced him to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Derrieck Cuevas.
Now, as he eyes a return in 2025, Norman is sizing up the competition, including unbeaten IBF champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis, who secured a unanimous decision over Karen Chukhadzhian last Saturday in Philadelphia—a rematch of their January 2023 bout.
Norman’s ascent has been anything but standard. In May, he shocked the boxing world by knocking out Giovani Santillan in the 10th round in Santillan’s own backyard in San Diego, California. That win earned Norman the WBO interim title, and by August, he was elevated to full champion. Now, he holds an undefeated record of 26-0 (20 KOs) and the weight of his title, with a mounting drive for unification.
Ennis, the highly regarded 27-year-old from Philadelphia, also boasts an unblemished record of 33-0 (29 KOs) and recently secured his second unanimous decision against Ukrainian contender Chukhadzhian. Reflecting on Ennis’ performance, Norman didn’t hesitate to share his observations.
“Oh, everybody has a bad night,” Norman told BoxingScene. “It was just one of those nights. Karen’s been around a while—he’s got Ennis’ style down pat more than the average fighter would. But, you know, everyone has an off night. I saw he was open a lot, of course, and that he was getting hit a lot, too.”
Chukhadzhian, with a record of 24-3 (13 KOs) and two unanimous decision losses to Ennis, gave the Philadelphian a tricky test. “Could be plenty of reasons why he looked that way, but like I said, anything could be the reason. It could be an off night; could be anything. But no matter the performance, I’m sure he’ll learn from it and come back better, whatever the case may be,” Norman said.
But for Norman, it’s more than just dissecting his potential rival—he’s sizing up how he’d approach Ennis if they meet in the ring. And when it comes to power, Norman didn’t hold back.
“The difference is, he wouldn’t have taken that left hook from me,” Norman said. “I think it would’ve been night-night for him.”
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