When asked for one area which Jin Sasaki could improve going forward in hopes to one day become a champion himself, Brian Norman Jr didn't hesitate: fight IQ.

The bullish challenger (19-2-1, 17 KOs) was praised for his aggressive start but paid for it almost immediately, being dropped twice in the opening round before a fifth-round stoppage defeat last week.

Norman (28-0, 22 KOs, 2 NC) crowned the second defence of his WBO welterweight world title with a viral moment on a business trip abroad, the first of many he's expecting after being elevated to full championship status when Terence Crawford departed the division last year.

An active champion is a dangerous one and after dismantling Derrieck Cuevas inside three rounds in March, the 24-year-old has more than made up for time after a nagging wrist injury kept him sidelined.

Couple that with an unsuccessful unification attempt against IBF/WBA/Ring champion Jaron Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs, 1 NC), who has already announced an inevitable move to junior middleweight, there's regret at how certain matters played out in the public eye.

Nonetheless, Norman is content at 147 pounds and keen to conquer a division with ever-changing pieces at world level. Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) defends his WBC title against returning Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao on July 19, while multiple contenders will be eager to snatch a piece of the two championships vacated by Ennis in the coming months.

Highly-regarded trainer Abel Sanchez isn't surprised by the growing fanfare surrounding the Georgia native, having watched him train at altitude from his famed Big Bear base in California last month for a training block before jetting off to Japan.

"He was here for three weeks in camp, I saw him work out, he's got a great team, he's got what I wish a lot of fighters would have — a small, dedicated team — his father, uncle and sparring partners," he told The Ring.

"No big entourage that takes up space and time necessary for concentration, they were here by themselves, sparred, ran well, dedication and keeping it simple is very important, I was impressed when he came."

Ennis, who turned 28 Thursday, is expected to make his junior middleweight debut around mid-August time in a tuneup bout, as a long-awaited Vergil Ortiz Jr showdown has been dangled for November.

"I would've loved to have seen a fight between him and Boots. He hasn't fought anybody who gives him that signature win, stamping him as the next coming," Sanchez said. "Had great wins and looks flashy, his father and brothers Derek and Farah are very good friends of mine, I've had them here sparring with Gennadiy Golovkin for a lot of different camps but again Jaron hasn't had that fight to anoint him as a superstar. Brian is that blue-collar, hard-nosed, hard-working, great technique boxer with good fundamentals but no one pays attention to him because he's not flashy."

Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC), former undisputed lightweight world champion, has been linked with a Norman matchup, his father/trainer Bill expressing interest on social media this week. Norman is well aware and relishing the chance to build off his booming momentum.

Similarly, Rohan Polanco's trainer Hector Bermudez, who cited intrigue over Norman's matchmaking in the build-up, was full of praise after watching him make eerily easy work of Sasaki and suggested end-of-year awards are already in their favour.

"Brian looked sensational, did really well, it was a toe-to-toe matchup and after back-to-back knockouts the way he's got them? Probably an early shout for fighter and his father trainer of the year," he told The Ring this week.

"Barrios-Pacquiao is an event more than a fight. I think the welterweight division is open now. It's always going to be a good division, has a solid history and Norman deserves to be sitting there [at the top] because he's a defending champion. Haney hasn't done anything at 147 yet, so I'm not sure how I feel about that."

Although Norman, in his seventh year as a pro, will not return until the final quarter of 2025, he's sure to be appointment viewing next time out — wherever in the world that proves to be.