WBO welterweight world champion Brian Norman Jr. forced to withdraw from title defense with a hand injury
NORFOLK, Va. (Oct. 7, 2024) — The 10-round middleweight showdown between unbeaten contender Troy “The Transformer” Isley and Tyler “Hercules” Howard has been elevated to the co-feature of the Keyshawn Davis-Gustavo Lemos lightweight main event on Friday, Nov. 8, at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
The original co-feature — WBO welterweight world champion Brian Norman Jr. defending his title against Derrieck Cuevas — was postponed after Norman suffered a hand injury in training.
Promoted by Top Rank, the entire Davis-Lemos card will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Isley (13-0, 5 KOs), who hails from Alexandria, Virginia, won the vacant NABO belt in his last fight with a convincing decision over former amateur rival Javier Martinez. Isley turned pro in February 2021 and represented Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics that summer. Howard (20-1, 11 KOs), from Crossville, Tennessee, last fought in August 2023, edging Raul Salomon by majority decision.
Undercard action includes Keyshawn’s older brother, junior welterweight contender Kelvin Davis (13-0, 7 KOs), returning in an eight-rounder against Yeis Solano (15-3, 10 KOs), while his younger brother, Keon Davis, makes his professional debut in a four-round welterweight bout. Lightweight prodigy Abdullah Mason (15-0, 13 KOs) looks to shine in an eight-rounder against Yohan Vasquez (26-5, 21 KOs), 19-year-old prospect Robert Meriwether III (7-0, 3 KOs) will face Eric Howard (6-2, 1 KO) in a six-rounder at junior lightweight, and Virginia native Austin Deanda (15-0, 10 KOs) hopes to extend his unbeaten run against South Carolina’s DeAundre Pettus (12-2, 7 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight tilt.
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