It was a left hook heard around the world, yet the 4,000 sold-out crowd at Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo fell completely silent. On 19th June, Brian Norman Jr. delivered a stone-cold performance to retain his WBO welterweight title. The Assassin II outclassed Jin Sasakifrom the start before delivering a decisive blow in the fifth round.

It was indeed a stunning performance from the undefeated welterweight champion, landing a knockout so spectacular it immediately sparked “KO of the Year” shouts. The buzz found further voice as Mike Tyson‘s son and Claressa Shields fueled the hype.

Claressa Shields in absolute awe

A few hours after the event, Claressa Shields shared Top Rank Boxing’s clip of Norman Jr’s KO on her ‘X’. Top Rank captioned the clip, “KO OF THE YEAR?! 😤 IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS,” and it seems like the GWOAT agrees with the assessment. She wrote, “Sheesh! Lol,” still in disbelief at the sheer display of the power in sight.

Mike Tyson’s eldest son, Amir J. Tyson, shared the same stunned reaction when he posted a now-deleted Instagram story featuring ESPN’s video of the left hook. He wrote, “Damn that left hook was murderous jeez 😤😤😤😤😤,” claiming that the punch would have taken anyone’s head off. Tyson Jr. summed up the awe, fear, and respect fans felt for the Georgian’s jaw-dropping moment.

Well, if the knockout can surprise even the most decorated female boxer of all time, it had to be special. The perfectly placed left hook by Norman Jr. knocked out Sasaki cold in his own backyard. It was not just a plain victory, but a statement that the 24-year-old is ready for the next step, a move that he made apparent right after the fight, embarrassing Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis with some sharp words.

Brian Norman Jr. is ready for the next level

During the post-fight interview, Brian Norman Jr. accused Jaron Ennis of dodging him indirectly. “About my future, I wish I had a certain fight coming up, but they heard the storm coming,” he said. While it was not clear, Norman Jr. was targeting Ennis indirectly, who recently announced his jump to the 154 lbs division without facing him.

“You know what happens when the storm is coming. You grab your boots and run,” added the 24-year-old, leaving no doubts behind his target. While Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, later explained the move stemmed from Ennis’ struggles to make 147 pounds, though some speculate Ennis also wanted to evade Norman Jr.’s devastating power.

No matter the reason, it has left Brian Norman Jr. in a weird position with a severe lack of challengers. Furthermore, after his dominant win over Sasaki, finding an opponent bold enough to step into the ring with him may prove even harder. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts down below.