The former WBO welterweight champion says the defeat removed pressure and pushed him to take more risks ahead of his return in Norfolk
Brian Norman Jr. says he is finished talking about what he learned from losing to Devin Haney and wants fans to judge the changes in his game when he returns Saturday night in Norfolk. Norman also admitted the defeat removed some of the pressure he previously carried as an unbeaten champion.
“One thing I learned from that fight is the fact that I’m tired of saying what I learned from that fight, man. I got a whole bunch of interviews, man. Just keep watching all of those,” said Norman Jr. to Fight Hub TV.
“I’m here May 16th. Forget what I can tell you. I just showed you.
“Yeah, absolutely. I feel like God made it all happen for a reason. Like for example, EJ Spence, who would have thought he’d come and work with Ronnie Shields at any point in his career, knowing that’s one of my favorite fighters?
“Also, Pernell Whitaker. We are literally in Norfolk, Virginia, and I work with Ronnie Shields, who used to work with Pernell. He’s from Norfolk, Virginia. So, I feel like everything happened for a reason, dog.
“Definitely, we had went on a five-mile run and I didn’t really ask no questions. I was a little nervous to ask questions, but he popped it all off and answered every question I needed answered before I even said anything.
“You hit it on the money though. It is a little pressure. We try to lie and say it ain’t no pressure. We be lying. We don’t want to lose. Let’s be real.
“But now that I got that off, it’s like, ‘Oh snap, I’m still here. I’m still fighting. I can still do my thing.’
“Even Roy Jones said that loss motivated him to start taking more risks and being more out there. I feel the same way.”
Norman enters the fight with a 28-1 record and 22 knockouts, while Wagner brings a record of 19-2 with 10 knockouts into the 10-round welterweight bout.