Brian Norman Jr. vs Derrieck Cuevas Preview March 29th, 2025
Unbeaten WBO Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr of Decatur, Georgia defends his belt for the first time when he takes on Derrieck Cuevas of Puerto Rico this Saturday, March 29th. The fight from Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen live in America on the ESPN platform while fans in the UK and Ireland can see it on Sky Sports Action and those in Canada can view it on TSN+. Norman won the interim title in May when he stopped Giovani Santillan in the 10th round. Cuevas last saw action in December, 2023 when he halted Marlon Aguas in the sixth round after dropping him in the fifth.
Norman Jr vs Cuevas Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Derrieck Cuevas +325
- Brian Norman Jr -450
My Pick
The 24-year-old Norman Jr enters the ring with a perfect record of 26-0 with 20 Ko’s and has 92 rounds of pro experience under his belt since making his debut in 2018. As an amateur, Norman won the 2016 USA Junior Olympics Final. He stands 5-feet-8 inches tall with a 72-inch reach and carries very good power in his fists as his current knockout ratio tips the scales at 76.7 per cent but has gone the distance in three of his last four official fights.
His bout with Janelson Bocachica last March was called a no-contest in the third round as both boxers suffered severe cuts. Norman was defending his WBO International Welterweight Belt which he had won in November, 2023 via a 10-round unanimous decision over Quinton Randall. Norman made his pro debut in Houston, Texas and then fought a dozen times in Mexico and none of his first 12 opponents had a winning record and the same can be said for 16 of his 26 overall opponents.
But we must remember he’s just 24 years old. This will be his 13th straight fight in the United States however. His biggest wins have been against Santillan, Carlos Ramirez, Flavio Rodriguez, Juan Rodriguez Jr, Benjamin Whitaker, Rodrigo Coria, Jesus Campos and Quinton Randall so it’s safe to say that Norman Jr stepped up in class against Santillan last year and passed the test with flying colours.
As for Cuevas, he’s 30 years old and climbs through the ropes with a fine mark of 27-1-1 with 19 Ko’s. He’s boxed 130 rounds since turning pro back in 2014 as a 19-year-old following his amateur career. He measures 5-feet-9-inches tall with an unlisted reach which means he’s an inch taller than the champion. As far as power is concerned, Cuevas appears to possess quite a bit of it as well as 70.4 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage, including his last five.
The lone draw on Cuevas’ record was a six-round affair with Samuel Santana in 2015 and his only defeat came at the hands of Damian Ezequiel Bonelli in 2020 via a six-round split decision. His biggest wins have been against Javier Garcia, Luis Ernesto Jose, Thomas Mendez, Breidis Prescott, Silverio Ortiz, Ed Paredes, Albert Mensah, Alberto Beltran, Damian Rodriguez and Alberto Mosquera. Cuevas is used to fighting in the USA as this will be his eighth bout there.
Prediction…
Both boxers have power but Cuevas has been out of action for over a year and may have some ring rust. Norman looked very good against Santillan as he displayed a great chin and a ton of power in that slugfest and also showed some fine boxing skills. Norman Jr. is six years younger than Cuevas and should be pumped defending his title for the first time. This should be a close fight though but Norman should be able to do enough to leave the ring with the belt still around his waist.
Norman Jr. has a slight edge in power and skill.
Play: Norman Jr. -450 @ BetOnline.ag
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Brian Norman Jr betting • Derrieck Cuevas betting