Sasaki Suffers Memory Loss After Norman Knockout

On June 19 in Japan, WBO Welterweight World champion Brian Norman (28-0, 22 KOs) successfully defended his title against local challenger Jin Sasaki (19-2-1, 17 KOs).

The American champion dropped Sasaki twice in the opening round and finished the bout with a brutal left hook in the fifth, which left the Japanese fighter needing to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher.

Although Sasaki regained consciousness and was able to speak, he was taken to the hospital as a precaution. According to Ikki Nakaya, head of Sasaki’s gym, the fighter lost memory of the past month and a half — including the fact that the fight was scheduled.

“Sasaki was taken to the hospital immediately after the fight, where he underwent a CT scan and other tests. No hemorrhage or serious damage was found. However, due to a hard blow to the back of the head, he temporarily lost his memory. There are no visible injuries, but we’ll do further tests tomorrow just to be sure,” Nakaya said.

Photo: Ring Magazine