The heavily favored former WBO welterweight champion technically knocked out Josh Wagner in the second round of their co-feature on the Keyshawn Davis-Nahir Albright undercard at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Norman (29-1, 23 KOs, 1 NC) dropped Wagner twice and obviously overwhelmed the reluctant underdog with his power, yet referee Eric Irizzary strangely wanted Wagner to continue.

Wagner (19-3, 10 KOs) complained about an injury to his left shoulder after the second knockdown, which led a ringside physician to stop their scheduled 10-round bout 1:24 into the second.

“He said he was gonna press hard in there,” Norman told DAZN’s Chris Mannix regarding Wagner. “I was expecting something serious. You feel me? But he came out playing and all that. … I came out trying to take his head off and I said, ‘Nah, lemme chill, get back on my jab, my fundamentals – it’s fun to the mental.’ You know what I’m saying? But I still got the job done.”

Norman, 25, fought for the first time since three-division champ Devin Haney won the WBO 147-pound crown from him by unanimous decision November 22 on “The Ring IV: Night of The Champions” undercard at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. The Conyers, Georgia native, who was a 20-1 favorite, hired one of boxing’s most touted trainers, Ronnie Shields, to replace his father, Brian Sr., after Haney beat him.

The 33-year-old Wagner, of Orangeville, Ontario, Canada, lost by knockout for the second time in 22 professional fights. He also slipped to 1-3 in his past four fights.