Brian Norman Jr.’s transpacific trip couldn’t have gone better.

The hard-hitting WBO welterweight champion bombarded Jin Sasaki with various power punches, dropped the Japanese contender twice in the first round and brutally knocked out the game challenger early in the fifth round Thursday night in Tokyo. A sweeping left hook by a composed Norman knocked Sasaki unconscious and emphatically ended a scheduled 12-round main event ESPN+ streamed from Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Referee Gustavo Tomas initially appeared unaware that Sasaki was out cold and started to count. He realized about halfway through his count that Sasaki couldn’t get up and halted the action 46 seconds into the fifth round.

Sasaki remained flat on his back for a few minutes. He was taken from the ring on a stretcher, but he was alert and waved his glove to the crowd as he exited the area around the ring.

Norman, The Ring’s No. 1 ranked welterweight contender, improved to 28-0 and produced his 22nd knockout. Sasaki slipped to 19-2-1 (17 KOs).

“It was a wonderful fight,” Norman said during his post-fight interview. “I had a very great opponent in front of me. Y’all seen that he got heart. That boy is not a slouch at all and I give nothing but props to him. I love y’all over here in Japan and I will gladly come back.”

Norman, 24, successfully defended the WBO 147-pound championship he won 13 months ago for the second time. The Conyers, Georgia native previously beat Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-2-1, 19 KOs) by third-round technical knockout March 29 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Sasaki, 23, lost inside the distance for the second time in nearly seven years as a pro. Japanese junior welterweight contender Andy Hiraoka (24-0, 19 KOs) stopped Sasaki in the 11th round of their October 2021 bout at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

Hachioji’s Sasaki entered his first title fight ranked No. 2 among the WBO’s welterweight contenders and No. 6 in The Ring’s top 10.

Norman, meanwhile, separated himself from the welterweight pack less than 24 hours after Ring, IBF and WBA champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis announced his move up to the junior middleweight division. He was faster, stronger and more precise than Sasaki throughout their bout.

Sasaki tripped and fell to the canvas 20 seconds into the fifth round. Less than 20 seconds later, Norman nailed him with the flush left hook that abruptly stopped their fight.

Sasaki started the fourth round by backing Norman into a corner. Norman quickly brought the action back toward the center of the ring and continued to pick apart Sasaki with hard right hands that landed cleanly.

Norman slipped some of Sasaki’s shots in the fourth round. A left hook by Sasaki caught Norman, however, while he was backed against the ropes with just under 30 seconds on the clock in the fourth round.

Sasaki connected with a left hook about 35 seconds into the third round. Norman wasn’t bothered by that punch and unloaded an array of punishing punches that backed up Sasaki and kept him from throwing as many punches as he did during each of the first two rounds.

Sasaki took deep breaths as he tried to withstand Norman’s vicious assault, but he clearly was wearing down by then. A left hook by Norman knocked Sasaki into the ropes just before the third round ended and punctuated a tremendous three minutes of one-sided action.

After dropping Sasaki twice in the first round, a right hand by Norman knocked Sasaki off balance about 40 seconds into the second round. Norman and Sasaki traded hard shots for much of the remainder of a fan-friendly second round.

Norman took Sasaki’s power well to that point in their bout. Sasaki was undeterred, despite Norman’s success, and kept coming forward.

A quick left hook by Norman to the top of his head knocked Sasaki to the canvas barely 35 seconds into the opening round. Sasaki got up almost immediately and threw wild punches at the champion to keep from getting knocked out.

A composed Norman nailed Sasaki with a right that sent Sasaki to the canvas again with just under 1:50 to go in the first round. A stunned Sasaki got up a second time and landed enough punches on Norman during the first round to reach the end of it.

Norman commended Sasaki for getting off the canvas twice and fighting back, even as it was obvious he faced a sharper, harder puncher with more technical skill.

“I mean, you seen it for yourself,” Norman said. “He proved himself. It’s a reason why he made it to this standard. It’s a reason why he got all these fans that came out with him. So, he fought with a whole lotta heart, he fought with a whole lotta dog and he showed the reason why he will be a future world champion. It’s just it’s other belts out there, and I believe he will get those belts.”