Brian Norman Jr Open To Fighting Teofimo Lopez But Focus Is On Unification Bouts
Brian Norman Jr, the WBO’s interim welterweight champion, has admitted he is open to fighting Teofimo Lopez Jr if ‘The Takeover’ makes the step up into the division.
Undefeated Norman (26-0-0 20 KO) became an interim champion after stopping Giovani Santillan in the 10th round of their bout in San Diego on May 18.
The 23-year-old from Georgia may yet be elevated to full champion depending on Crawford’s next move. WBO regular champion Crawford will make the step up to super-welterweight on August 3 against WBA title holder Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles where ‘Bud’ is aiming to become a three-weight world champion.
Should Crawford remain at 154lbs, and aim to make history as the only male fighter to be undisputed in three weight classes, he will be forced to vacate his remaining welterweight titles and will hand over the belt to Norman.
Meanwhile, WBO super-lightweight world champion Lopez suggested after his points win over Steve Claggett that he could make the move up to 147lbs, and as a WBO loyalist, the New Yorker would be expecting a title fight soon after his arrival into the division.
Norman v Lopez ‘Would Be Easy To Make’
That creates the very real possibility of Norman potentially defending a world title against Lopez, and the interim champion has said it’s a fight that interests him.
“Of course I’d be interested in that fight,” Norman told BoxingScene. “He is with Top Rank, I am with Top Rank as well, so it would be easy to make.
“If he wants to come to 147, I will gladly introduce him to the division. Anything is possible. We have seen what he did in the past, trying to be great at a young age. … It could happen, but business is still business. Maybe it won’t happen.”
As for his prospects of claiming the WBO world title, Norman sounded positive that Crawford would vacate and remain at super-welterweight, saying: “He was already saying before the [Errol] Spence [Jr.] fight that he was too big for 147. Also, he is not really pursuing what I would call regular fights.”
‘I Want Anybody With A Belt’
Whether his next bout is against Lopez, or even as a mandatory challenger to Crawford if he returns to the division, Norman insisted he is only focused on world title fights.
“I want anybody with a belt,” he said, making a particular reference to IBF champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, who successfully defended his title on Saturday night in Philadelphia with a one-sided, fifth-round stoppage of David Avanesyan.
Other unification options could include WBC champion Mario Barrios and WBA title holder Eimantas Stanionis – both of whom were elevated from interim status after Crawford vacated the belts.
In his interview with BoxingScene, Norman also discussed his love of reading and how it helps to shape his approach to boxing and life in general.
“The main thing is, knowledge is power – but history will forever repeat itself,” Norman said. “You learn from the past, what made this person great and that person great. If you follow what they do, or even do more, you could be just as good as them or even better. The more you know about history, the more you can do today.”
