In a lackluster 10-round welterweight bout on the Shakur Stevenson-Edwin De Los Santos undercard at T-Mobile Arena, Norman emerged as the more aggressive fighter, securing the win according to all three judges. Eric Cheek and Steve Weisfeld each scored nine rounds for Norman (99-91), maintaining his undefeated record but failing to leave a lasting impression in his third fight since joining Top Rank Inc. under Bob Arum’s promotional contract.
Judge David Sutherland scored seven rounds for Norman, resulting in a 97-93 victory on his card. This marked Norman’s first encounter with an undefeated opponent, Randall (13-1-1, 3 KOs), from Katy, Texas. The 22-year-old Norman (25-0, 19 KOs), known for his punching prowess, went the distance in all three fights since signing with Top Rank in December.
Having undergone surgery on his right hand in June, Norman anticipated a noteworthy performance in his comeback fight on Thursday night. Throughout the bout, Norman pressed forward, with Randall initiating numerous clinches. Despite the lackluster nature of the match, a moment stood out in the 10th round when Norman landed a short left on the inside less than 50 seconds before the final bell.
The earlier rounds saw consistent clinches between Norman and Randall, frustrating the audience and leading to chants of “boring” in the eighth round. While there were occasional exchanges, the fight lacked clean punches and failed to capture the crowd’s enthusiasm.
Randall landed a right hand on the inside in the seventh round, prompting earlier boos due to extensive clinching. A visible cut around Norman’s right eye appeared in the sixth round following a right connected by Randall. The fifth round remained uneventful, with Randall landing more punches.
Norman’s attempts, including a lunging forward and landing a left hand in the fourth round, were met with mixed success. The second and third rounds witnessed exchanges, with Norman’s right connecting and a notable right from Randall in the third. The opening round concluded with Randall backing up Norman with a straight right, adding to the sporadic nature of the fight.
