(April 25th)  Atlanta’s rising star is ready to defend his championship in the Land of the Rising Sun. Brian Norman Jr. will make the second defense of his WBO welterweight world title against Japanese contender Jin Sasaki on Thursday, June 19, at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

It’s a nearly 7,000-mile trip for the 24-year-old Norman — boxing’s youngest male world champion — who hasn’t fought on foreign soil since 2019. The 23-year-old Sasaki, one of boxing’s emerging knockout artists, has fought all but one of his 21 pro fights in Japan.

In the co-feature, Cristian Araneta (25-2, 20 KOs) and Thanongsak Simsri (38-1, 34 KOs) will vie for the vacant IBF junior flyweight world title.

And, in a 12-round welterweight tilt, Japanese wunderkind Sora Tanaka (3-0, 3 KOs) will fight southpaw veteran Takeru Kobata (14-7-1, 6 KOs) for the vacant OPBF title.

Norman-Sasaki, Araneta-Simsri, and Tanaka-Kobata will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.

“Brian Norman Jr. is a motivated and talented champion who didn’t hesitate when offered this opportunity,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Jin Sasaki has power and punches in volume, and their styles will make for a dramatic, action-packed world title showdown.”

“The king from the south comes to take over the world. I like how that sounds,” Norman said. “On June 19, I’m ready to put on a stellar performance and write another triumphant chapter of ‘The Norman Experience.’”

Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) fought 13 times in Mexico early in his career, including nine times before his 18th birthday. Those experiences set him on a path to contention, as “The Assassin” notched a string of highlight-reel knockouts before making his Top Rank debut in early 2023. After four fights without a knockout, Norman authored a massive upset last May, stopping hometown hero Giovani Santillan in 10 dramatic rounds in San Diego. The Santillan win earned Norman the WBO interim title, and he was elevated to full champion after Terence Crawford moved up to junior middleweight. Following successful hand surgery, Norman defended his strap on March 29 with a third-round TKO over Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas.

Sasaki (19-1-1, 17 KOs) is unbeaten in nine fights since moving up to welterweight. He captured the WBO Asia Pacific title in January 2023 with a first-round stoppage of Ryota Toyoshima and has made five defenses of that belt. During a six-fight knockout streak from 2022 to 2024, Sasaki knocked out long-reigning Japanese champion Keita Obara and Filipino spoiler Joe Noynay, among others, as he ascended the WBO rankings. In January, he went the 12-round distance for the first time, winning a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai on the Naoya Inoue-Ye Joon Kim undercard.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com.

About ESPN

In the UK, ESPN operates a successful and growing business that includes a collection of leading sports websites and apps, an expanding sports content sales business, live and on-demand streaming service ESPN Player, and a long-term collaboration with BT Sport that includes BT Sport operating an ESPN-branded channel as part of its television business.

ESPN UK combines bespoke content from an experienced London-based team with the best writing on other sites in ESPN’s global digital portfolio, including ESPNcricinfo.com and ESPN FC. More than 100 staff from multiple locations contribute to ESPN UK’s coverage across football, rugby, cricket, tennis, boxing and golf, offering both a local and global view.

ESPN’s UK business is part of ESPN International, a division of ESPN, Inc., which has grown to include ownership — in whole or in part — of 26 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of additional businesses that allow ESPN to reach sports fans in more than 60 countries and territories across all seven continents. Since 1983, ESPN (founded in Bristol, Connecticut, in 1979) has grown around the world, establishing itself as the leading global sports media brand – ESPN.com is one of the world’s leading sports websites. The company’s philosophy to global growth is to always serve sports fans and be locally relevant to them, with content and products that tap into their great passion and dedication. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

About Top Rank

Innovation has been the standard at Top Rank since it was established in 1966 by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. The boxing industry’s leading promotional company, Top Rank has shaped, developed, and promoted the careers of top international pay-per-view superstars and Hall of Famers, including Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, Terence Crawford, and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Top Rank has promoted some of the most memorable fights in the sport’s history, including 26 Ali events, Leonard vs. Hearns, Pryor vs. Arguello, Duran vs. Leonard, Hagler vs. Hearns, Leonard vs. Hagler, Foreman vs. Holyfield, Morales vs. Barrera, De La Hoya vs. Trinidad, and the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. In addition to the previously mentioned super fights, Top Rank possesses one of the largest sports libraries, which includes nearly 10,000 fights.

Known for creating strategic collaborations between athletes, sponsors, and television networks, Top Rank has been an architect of boxing’s global growth by staging high-profile events in landmark settings around the world, including Madison Square Garden, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Staples Center, Wembley Arena, Araneta Coliseum, The Venetian Macao, Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, The “Fabulous” Forum, and AT&T Stadium. Top Rank has also been the leader within the boxing industry in creating unforgettable in-arena experiences for fans and embracing 21st century technological advancements to distribute world-class fights and shoulder programming across a variety of platforms.