Japan’s Jin Sasaki has lost six weeks of memory following a knockout defeat to American boxer Brian Norman in a WBO welterweight title fight in Tokyo.
The bout, held at Ota City Gymnasium on June 20, saw Norman dominate early. He knocked Sasaki down twice in the first four rounds before delivering a devastating left hook to the jaw in the fifth, sending the Japanese fighter down to the canvas and securing a victory by knockout.
As Sasaki collapsed, the back of his head struck the canvas hard. Medical personnel rushed in as he lay motionless for over a minute before being stretchered out and taken to hospital for examinations.
Though scans confirmed no major brain injuries and Sasaki was discharged the same day, his gym manager, Issei Nakaya, later revealed that the boxer had lost memory of the past six weeks, including the fight itself, The Sun reported.
Sasaki, who had a modest amateur record of one win and three losses, has improved after going professional with a record of 19 wins, two defeats, and one draw. He previously suffered a knockout loss to Andy Hiraoka in a 2021 Japanese super lightweight title match, but rebounded in January 2023 by knocking out Ryota Toyoshima in the first round to claim the WBO Asia-Pacific welterweight title.
Norman, meanwhile, remains undefeated with 28 wins and two no contests. He became the official WBO welterweight champion after Terence Crawford moved up in weight and has since defended the title successfully, including a TKO win over Derick Cuevas in March 2025.
