Speaker 1: Well, it's my pleasure to welcome back to the podcast.
Is at w BO welterweight world champion Brian Norman. Brian,
thank you for doing this. We spoke before your first
title defense. Now you're getting ready to make your second
title defense a little bit of a different situation. You're
heading to Tokyo, Japan to make this defense against Jin
Sasaki take place on June nineteenth. That will be the
main event on ESPN Plus. Welcome to the show. Thank
you very much for doing this, Brian.
Speaker 2: I appreciate you Dan and man so I as you
don't have a problem at all going to Japan. I
know I heard you just mentioning that, so I feel
like that matter what, Well, step into that reign. I'm
back at home again.
Speaker 1: Well we'll get to that in just a quick second
before we get to this title defense you have coming up.
I wanted to go back to the last title defense,
which took place in March in Las Vegas. That was
your first defense. Was a really outstanding performance. You scored
a third round knockout against Derek Quavis, and I just
wonder if you could give me your sort of review
of that fight, because it looked to me anyway watching
it on the screen, that you didn't have any problems
that you just basically, you know, took maybe around to
get used to the guy and then just walk through.
What was your take on how you performed that night?
Speaker 2: Oh, I mean you pretty much right, pretty much like
right there would and of course it was still just
a little bit of ring russ or whatever. But I
felt right back at home, safty around came out, like
you just said, just started pushing it, started pushing the pace,
and shoot, I made him quick. That boy got hit
with a brick in the face and he said, now
I ain't trying to do that again.
Speaker 1: Now we know when you came into that fight. Part
of the reason it took a while for you to
get back into the ring, because if you were dealing
with your own issues in terms of your hand injury
and the surgery and everything like that, how did that
hold up? Is everything good with the hand?
Speaker 2: I mean, I knocked him out with that same hand,
So you tell.
Speaker 1: Me, I guess that's Truck's a very good point. What
I'm very interested in to talk about a little bit
is that you did have that unfortunate layoffs because of
the injury. But now here you go. You take care
of your man, you know, in that first defense against Cuavis.
Now you're back in the ring just a little less
than three months later. And I think one of the
big things in boxing today is some times are top
fighters uh the activity level is just not there. But you,
as a young champion, you're getting right back in there
three months later. I wonder from your perspective, how important
is the activity for you and your career, And frankly,
from your opinion about activity for pro fighters in the
first place, regardless of champion or not champion.
Speaker 2: I feel like activity is very, very important. Like you
just said, Earl, been a whole lot of fighters, edges
fight once maybe twice on a good year, once or
twice just a year, and then you see they get rusty,
you know, did down the third something always happened. So
I feel like, shoot, the more you open that thing,
the better, and go for yourself with the boxing world,
the box of life, and then watch your magic happen.
You have no choice but to stay on the point.
You have no choice but to keep getting better. A
lot of fighters keep going up and down, up and down,
up and down right there.
Speaker 1: With you that we have to think if you're if
you're staying that active, also not only you're gonna get sharp,
but you're gonna you're gonna be mentally focused on what
you have going on. You're going to be close to
your fighting weight. Is that also a big part of
this situation.
Speaker 2: But you are literally doing exactly what you're supposed to do.
Just try and head down, take care of yourself. E right,
go to sleep on time, back in to drop another mixtape,
which is a fight. Boom, you drop another one the streets,
look it, Go back home, get back of the laud
work again. Come back out there, drop another one the streets. Looky.
That's literally all it is, just keep trying to keep tropping.
Speaker 1: So now you mentioned and I mentioned that this fight
you're going to be going to Japan to do this fight.
You're not only going overseas, You're going to Tasaki's hometown
to Tokyo, So it's not even like a neutral place overseas,
but it's going to be in the Lions. Then, as
they say, I was wondering what went into the decision
from yourself and your team, your father, and your management
to take the fight to go seven thousand miles across
the world to do this fight in his hometown. What
was the discussion about when it came to that.
Speaker 2: Oh, I love I love going to enemy tais or
hometown country and having everything for them. So you not
have no excuse for literally anything. We're right here, your backyard,
your fans, Yo dis and Yo Dad. So it's just
like then you still show that while you are your
best self, I'm still better than you.
Speaker 1: Have you done much international travel to have an idea
of what you're in store for?
Speaker 2: No, not at all. But of course in today's age,
everything is right here in front of you. So I
did my research Japan. It's really cool, like regarding uh,
just how to look out there first of all, So
I like how I look out there. The fan base
is amazing, real respectful, like real cool. So I feel
like not gonna be a problem at all.
Speaker 1: So when you go there, obviously you're gonna go a
bit ahead of time at the fight. You know you're
gonna do things like acclimate to the time change which
is dramatic from the East coast the United States. You're
gonna deal with the climate. You're gonna deal with whatever
the food situation is. Have you discussed with the team
about the type the things you're gonna do, to make
sure that there's no issues with that stuff.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we all taking precautions regarding that. Of course, I
don't want to say too much, but we all taking precautions.
The main thing is food and time. So with the
time thing, we're going out two weeks early just to
make sure, you know, I get accustomed everything and also
have the time to see what we're finna be eating
because you know, of course, different culture, different things out there.
Speaker 1: So the other thing I'm interested too, You're going to
go to a place like you're paying, which has so
much obviously great boxing culture, but just great culture in general.
There is there any part of this that's fun in games,
either beforehand or after or is this strictly business all
the way through?
Speaker 2: Not this one for the most part. If I'm going
out for a fight, training camps, far anything like that
is strictly business. To be real. Only had one real
deal vacation, which was after my last fight. But besides that,
whenever I go out, I'm going a mission to go
do something. Right now, my mission is Jensasaki.
Speaker 1: So when you fight him, you are still the youngest
world champion among men boxers in the world at age
twenty four. He's twenty three. If he happens to score
the upset and win this fight, he'll become the youngest
of the active men world champions in boxing. He's known
as a powerful puncher. He has been on some of
the ESPN Plus undercards, so American fans, if they tune
into those events, have gotten a chance to see him
fight on an in a way undercard. For example, what
do you know about Jensasaki? What is your scattered report
in terms of how you prepare for him?
Speaker 2: Tell you, oh, I prepare for him to look I
for anybody else, I trained hard. In general. I feel
like if you yourself are a perfect fighter, you don't
have to wear about anybody else as long as you
check that man in the middle of every single day.
Are you pushing yourself? Are you working on you what
you're supposed to work on? Working on your weaknesses at
all time? This is done. J keep checking everything, GoF
If I have the perfect jail, perfect stamina, perfect power,
perfect time, and literally perfect everything I can find on
the inside, I fight on the outside, CounterPunch. Why I
worry about what the nets man could do? So the
main thing is just focus on me what I got
going on. I know Jen is a very very tough competitor,
and he coming to bring it everything he got. He
got the fans behind he got the city behind him.
It's just not enough, that's all.
Speaker 1: Before you took this fight with Sasaki, there was a
lot of conversation that they were going to revisit, you know,
your team as well as Matchum about the drawn Ennis fight,
which has been talked about quite a bit, was discussed
before your last fight. Eddie hern is out there talking
to the various media, YouTube channels, etc. Talking about how
they've made an offer or they're interested to try to
do the fight later this year, but that you and
your team were like, look, we're interested, but we're not
going to get involved with that before we make this
title of defense. We're not gonna you know, break your concentration,
disrespect to your opponent, that sort of thing. What's your
take on the situation with the potential of this unification
with NUS at some point soon.
Speaker 2: First thing, First, I just want to say that they
did not say anything before this fight was announced, so
I believe they probably said something about two weeks ago.
This fight been announced a long time ago or probably
just last week. I I don't remember. He said something
very very recent, so he knew for a fact I
had this fight going on. That little time period after
my fight we literally heard nothing. So I won't even
try to say that he was trying to make the
fight happen just that quick. He waited for this fight
to get announced, for this fight to happen, and me
knowing my mind is set on this fight to try
to come in and budget's way in. So he's just
trying to force our hands fear of missing out. You
can only sign a contract right now before the next fight.
Why I can't get my fight over it? Then we
come back to talking, come back to the table like
they like to say. So I'm not going for anything
that he got going.
Speaker 1: On, right And it's not like your fight is six
months from now. It's coming off.
Speaker 2: Literally was lunch.
Speaker 1: And I wonder also if you even think about this
sort of thing, like, not only are they discussing and
saying in the in the public about how they were
trying to supposedly make ns against you in a unification,
but there also is no secret that they're out there
trying to make Jeron bout Sennis in a fight against
TaiMo Lopez. So it's not even like you're the only target.
I don't know how either one of you would take
that when you know, even if you say yes, you
won't even necessarily get the fight.
Speaker 2: Now, you tell me, are they really dead trying to
make the fight happen? On one day? They're saying, he
sent me an offer, but I can only sign it
before before I even had my next fight that I've
been in contract for, and then literally a day later
we find out the entire time they was in negotiations
with to So it's just like you knew for a
fact who was a fin signed that contract before my
next fight. You knew that for effect. So now Ed
is just trying to once again just flip the whole script.
Bickie man, Dug, I'm not going for it. I'm a
grown man. I like throwing hands, and I'm down to
step and a ring with anybody.
Speaker 1: So in other words, I don't want to put words
in your mouth, but go to Japan, take care of
your business, and when that's done with, you know you
and your team can get cracking on the next one.
If it's Endy it's great and if it's somebody else, cool,
Oh okay, that's good enough. I'm interested also because your
division has got besides yourself and all the conversation about
Ennis and everything else, there's been a lot of a
lot of recent news about the WBC champion, Mario Barrios.
He is going to be fighting Manny Pacyao, who's going
to end a four year retirement to challenge for that title.
He's one of the all time greats, although he's now
forty six years old. I'm wondering, if you know, and
we just mentioned how you yourself at age at twenty
four rather youngest champion in boxing, what do you think
about when you see a living legend like a Manny
Pacyo decide to end the retirement at forty six to
come back and fight for a world championship in your
weight class.
Speaker 2: Nay, I want to see what else he can do
and his legendary look career that he have had. We've
seen he instead on the one to ever beat Keith Thurman,
mister one time, the man that was beating everybody. He
was the man that was to wait at one point
then old man pack Yall even at that time I
think he probably like forty two, if I'm not mistake.
Speaker 1: He was actually when they fought, he was forty and
when he beat the Germany set the record forest fighter
in boxing history to win a Walter weeight world title.
Speaker 2: So I just want to see what else can Man
in Pack y'all do.
Speaker 1: There's a fight with the winner interest you at some point,
whether it's Barrios obviously closer to your age, or even
if it was a many pack yall or a living legend.
Speaker 2: I mean I want the C belt in general, like
that's the main built I won't we all know all
the greats had the WBC. Everybody say that's the one
to kick. I want to be a part of the legends.
I want that built as well. If Man in Pack
y'all wins it, that just make it even better because
now I got the legend and his whole resume also
a part of me as well.
Speaker 1: Do you look around at the rest of the way,
class and sort of check out the landscape and think
about the other possibilities. There's been some some fights taking place,
obviously Nsunified not that long ago. When he beats Stanionis,
who still seems to be a reputable fighter could certainly
match up with you. There's Devin Haney that's in the
way class, even though he's not coming off the greatest performance.
There's Ryan Garcia who lost to Roly Ramiro, who won
a secondary title. When you hear all those names, are
there guys there that interest you also?
Speaker 2: Down the road, all these guys will fall, every last
one of them. They all just step into my division.
It's only so many of us. If y'all not gonna
fight each other. I know for a fact I'm down
to fight each and ever last one of y'all. So
they all will follow in due time.
Speaker 1: So the question now is as you go to Japan
the fight to Saki, Like I said earlier, you scored
the knockout, you basically make waves quit. I know you
have your your plans to win the fight, but is
there gonna be another one of those kind of devastating
performances against Asaki?
Speaker 2: I mean, I ain't trying it this hard for nothing.
He not coming the way he comes for nothing. They
sound like if it'd be in the time, ain't in
an action over here. So I geting to be a
whole out of blood shit.
Speaker 1: You think it's to me that kind of fight. It's
just a rugged slow festival.
Speaker 2: I ain't gonna say rugged because I ain't. I don't
like getting hit. Like even with the San Sinia fight,
we was on the inside working. There was a lot
of blood coming from him.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying it wasn't you.
Speaker 2: So I can go to war if I can still
be smoothing that thing too. I look up the fighters
like James Tony as well. He'll make you miss right
there in your face. So I ain't gonna say rugged,
but it will be a war.
Speaker 1: Brian. I wish you good luck in that fight. I
appreciate you doing this and safe travels to Japan.
Speaker 2: I appreciate you, boss man.