The gala will continue even without the only vital title fight.

confirmed that Brian Norman Jr. will no longer appear on ESPN’s November 8 show at The Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. An arm injury suffered during training camp forced the undefeated WBO welterweight champion to withdraw from his defense against Derrieck Cuevas.

Norman-Cuevas was scheduled to co-headline the show. Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite was the first to report that the fight would be postponed to the first quarter of 2025.

The remainder of the event – which The Ring has learned is sold out for the first show – will go ahead. Local Keyshawn Davis (11-0, 7 knockout) will face Argentinian Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KO) in a 10-round lightweight fight. For the 2020 Olympic silver medalist, this is the first hometown event Lightweight The Ring model with number 7.

Norman (26-0, 20 KO), the Ring’s fifth-ranked welterweight, was recently promoted to full WBO titleholder. He won an interim version of the belt after a tenth-round knockout of Giovani Santillan on May 18.

Norman’s conversations with IBF champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (31-0, 28 KO) were widely publicized. It’s more of a stance, although Ennis needed a better opponent. Ring’s No. 1 welterweight has been ordered to face mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian in an unnecessary rematch following his January 2023 victory.

Norman held on for as long as his team felt the undefeated Georgian was worth. When Ennis and Matchroom Boxing failed to hit that number, Norman moved up to a birdie that was already in hand – a spot on Davis’ card.

Now he will have to wait for his first title defense. The upcoming postponed gala will also be Cuevas’ first title fight in his career.

Top officials were unable to comment on the development as the news is not official (yet). However, The Ring has learned that the likely candidate for the fresh joint film will be from the planned lineup, provided there is an appropriate update in the coming days.

Davis’ goal is to restore the tradition of boxing in Norfolk once established by the slow Hall of Fame great Pernell Whitaker in the 1980s and 1990s.

Whitaker played at the Scope Arena ten times, including a revenge-fueled victory over Jose Luis Ramirez in August 1989 to avenge his controversial first career loss. His last fight was a repeat victory over James “Buddy” McGirt and defense of the lineal champion and WBC welterweight championship in October 1994.

Former Ring/lineal heavyweight champion Hall of Famer Larry Holmes fought the final fight of his legendary career at the Scope Arena. This came after a July 2002 decision victory over Eric “Butterbean” Esch.

Davis dominated with a ten-round unanimous decision over Miguel Madueno (31-3, 28 KO) on July 6 in Newark, Recent Jersey. The seventh lightweight fighter of The Ring organization served as a support for long-time friend and three-division champion Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KO).

Five months earlier, he defeated former two-division champion Jose Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KO). This fight took place on the Top Rank card before the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

“The Businessman” is now at the forefront of his quest to become the lightweight champion.

It will face the toughest test in its history, at least on paper.

Argentine Lemos (29-1, 19 KO) was unlucky to suffer a lone defeat in his last fight.

The 28-year-old from Argentina was attacking Brooklyn’s Richardson Hitchins, who made an unpopular decision during the DAZN main event on April 6 in Las Vegas. Most viewers and those in attendance felt that Lemos deserved the nod for the IBF 140-pound title.

Lemos will fight in the United States for the second time in a row. His proposed fight with Davis will mean a return to lightweight.

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ProBox TV CEO Garry Jonas and Jamie Conlan will work together to bring ProBox TV’s “evenly matched action fights” ethos to the UK, starting on November 1 with a huge show in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The next event will take place a month later in Waterford, Ireland, on December 7, before Jonas and Conlan head to England and Scotland in 2025.

In the first event to be held at the SSE Arena, 18-1 (9 KO) Irish lightweight heavyweight Padraig McCrory will face Spain-based Colombian Leonard Carrillo (17-5 (6 KO)) and former Irish amateur star Kurt Walker, 11- 0 (2 KO) will face Rudy Garcia (13-1 (2 KO) from Los Angeles) and Robbie Davies from Liverpool, 23-5 (15 KO), after a 10-round loss to Sergey Lipinets on ProBox TV earlier on TV ProBox TV. year, he will face Dominican southpaw Javier Fortuna 38-4-1 (27 KO) in the junior middleweight division.

There will be even more work to be done in the future as part of the bill between ProBox TV, the US boxing channel that broadcasts worldwide – and owns BoxingScene – and Conlan Boxing.

“From day one, our plans were to enter the British market,” Jonas said. “This is the home of boxing. These are the best and most well-informed fans in the world. The US may be the best market for the biggest fights due to sheer population, but on a per capita basis the UK is by far the best English-speaking boxing market in the world.

Jonas said plans for 2025 are to launch in Liverpool and then begin arriving in the UK.

“We are a boxing channel, not a promoter,” Jonas explained, “with a very clear philosophy about the type of fights we do. Equally tailored action fights are what a true fan really wants to see; good fighters in great fights. We do not support a specific player; every fighter has a fair chance to win. We needed to find a promoter in the UK who was willing to follow these guidelines and we are pleased to announce that Conlan Boxing will be our promoter on the other side of the ocean. Jamie and Michael Conlan are among the best adolescent promoters in Europe and we are confident that they are the right people to facilitate us develop the ProBox televised fight series across Europe.

Jamie Conlan, a former pro and now head of Conlan Boxing, said he had no hesitation in joining the Florida-based chain.

“I have been very aware of ProBox TV for some time,” Conlan said. “Their fortnightly midweek boxing matches continue to impress me, with action-packed fights against large names. So I had to listen to Garry’s vision for bringing the ProBox TV model to the UK/Ireland and wider Europe, which is where I jumped into. Consistent competitive fights that gave fans value for money, sign up.”

It will start on Friday, November 1

“Starting in Belfast with Pody McCrory, a full-on shootout with Leonard Carrillo and Robbie Davies Jnr-Javier Fortuna in a real 50/50 crossroads fight, undefeated former Olympian Kurt Walker becomes the toughest test of his career against Rudy Garcia and a rematch of the Irish fight of the year in Rudy Farrell vs. Conor Kerr, it’s a great way to start the series in Belfast.

“Then it’s off to Waterford in December with an intriguing All-Ireland romance between Dylan Moran and Tyrone McKenna.”

Conlan said there are plans for a “heated and ponderous move next year” and the recent partnership will target monthly performances, creating a “steady stream of competitive fights that everyone will appreciate.”

For those looking to tune in for the broadcast on November 1, the ProBox TV app is available in all app stores as well as on Intelligent TVs, Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku – and it’s free. More details can be found at probotv.com.