Terence Crawford has decided to give up his WBO welterweight title, which means he now holds only one of the four belts he previously had in the 147 lb weight class. Following his decision, Brian Norman Jr. has been elevated from the WBO interim 147-lb champion to the full champion status by the organization.
There is a question mark over the fate of Crawford’s WBA belt, the last piece of his undisputed championship, as it will either be left vacant or taken away if he doesn’t defend it. Crawford secured the WBA junior middleweight title on August 3rd by defeating Israil Madrimov via a unanimous decision in Los Angeles. This win signaled the beginning of Crawford losing the titles he had at the 147-lb weight class.
Crawford’s move opens the door for a potential showdown between Brian Norman (26-0, 23 KOs) and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for the WBO 147-lb title. Ennis has shown no inclination to move up to the 154 weight class for a chance at bigger earnings, opting to stay at 147 and aim for undisputed champion status before considering a leap in weight.
Brian Norman Jr. captured the WBO interim 147-lb title last May by knocking out Giovani Santillan in the tenth round of a tough fight. Despite not being a familiar name to many boxing fans earlier, Norman Jr. exhibited his skills by convincingly defeating the previously unbeaten Santillan.
Teofimo Lopez has shown interest in challenging Norman Jr. for the WBO 147-lb title subsequent to his promotion. Only time will tell if Lopez will follow through with this idea or if it was merely a strategy to draw attention to his career. Norman Jr.’s recent victories against Steve Claggett and Jamaine Ortiz indicate that he would present a significant challenge to Lopez in the ring.
