For Derrieck Cuevas, the wait has been almost interminable.

More than a decade after Cuevas turned pro, following a long amateur career in Puerto Rico.

More than four years since Cuevas suffered his first career defeat, after which he changed gyms, trainers and mindsets.

Almost four months since Cuevas began his training camp, working, waiting, sacrificing, holding out for his chance to finally turn himself loose against interim welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jnr.

If all (finally) goes according to plan, the wait will end Saturday at Fontainebleau Las Vegas in a 12-round welterweight co-main clash in support of the Mikaela Mayer-Sandy Ryan WBO women’s welterweight title fight rematch.

“I’m ready for this fight,” Cuevas told BoxingScene. “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. I’ve been 10 years boxing pro, and I’m gonna take this chance.”

It has been a long time coming for Cuevas, a 30-year-old from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, who hasn’t fought since December 2023. His absence from the ring has been directly prolonged by Norman, whose hand injury and subsequent surgery postponed their original November fight date. The extended training camp has kept Cuevas hungry – literally so – and more than a little bit ornery.

“Right now, it’s like a lifestyle, boxing,” Cuevas said. “That’s my job. But the food and everything, it’s hard. And around here, everything is fried, here in P.R. That’s our culture – everything fried, everything on holidays, pinchos, things like that.”

Staying in fighting trim for months, through the holidays, tested Cuevas – “We’re in the gym, like a rat, every day” – and has kept him in something of a mood toward Norman, who was elevated from interim titleholder to full status over the summer – and who thus, in Cuevas’ eyes, isn’t a “real” champion.

“The pressure is on him,” Cuevas said, “because he was gifted that belt.

“He thought that maybe it was gonna be an easy fight, and so he started using excuses, a hand injury, and that’s why the training camp was so long – to see if I would get discouraged. But on the contrary, we kept focused, we stayed there, and now we’re ready for the fight.”

Cuevas, 27-1-1 (19 KOs), will still have to prove as much when the opening bell rings Saturday. His impressive record has been built against a parade of low-profile opponents, with a sixth-round stoppage of then-14-1 Marlon Aguas in his most recent action representing Cuevas’ most noteworthy work as a pro.

It may be now or never for Cuevas, but don’t dismiss the possibility of now. After seeing his career slowed by managerial issues, Cuevas has been working the past two years with coach David Oyola, training in Bayamon, and sparring with the likes of top-shelf Puerto Rican pros Subrial Matias and Niklaus Flaz. After operating so long on the fringes, Cuevas welcomes the idea of being counted out on a big stage.

“I love to be the underdog,” he said. “That’s like premium – that’s gasoline for me. Because everybody thinks, ‘Who’s Derrieck Cuevas?’ Nobody knows me, because I’ve been one year off, because of problems with the manager. Nobody knows who I am. That’s the motivation. I’ve got everything to demonstrate that on fight night.”

Norman is himself unproven, at least for a 26-0 (22 KOs) titleholder – though his 10th-round knockout of then-32-0 Giovanni Santillan last May, in his most recent outing, is a notable benchmark. Still, Cuevas says he has all the advantages in Saturday’s matchup – more size, more strength, power in both hands, a tactical edge.

“Brian is a good fighter,” Cuevas said. “But he’s short. … He has the pressure, and I’m gonna take that. He’s under the eyes of everybody, and he has to look good and knock me out.”

If Cuevas is as ready as he believes himself to be, then his moment truly has arrived. He plans to punctuate it with a flourish.

“That’s what I want – a KO,” Cuevas said. “Because he’s gonna bring the fight. That’s his style, like a dog. He’s gonna come. … He wants others to fight in his style. I’m gonna play on his field. Wherever he knows how to fight best, I’m going to dominate him.”

Jason Langendorf is the former Boxing Editor of ESPN.com, was a contributor to Ringside Seat and the Queensberry Rules, and has written about boxing for Vice, The Guardian, Chicago Sun-Times and other publications. A member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, he can be found at LinkedIn and followed on X and Bluesky.