SPORTS SHORTS 248: JERWIN ANCAJAS VS. KAZUTO IOKA IBF AND WBO JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT UNIFICATION PLANNED FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE IN JAPAN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 27 Oct 2021
International Boxing Federation champion Jerwin Ancajas and World Boxing Organization champion Kazuto Ioka are planning an IBF/WBO junior bantamweight title unification bout. If the two camps could sign a deal, the bout will take place on New Year’s Eve in Japan, a regular event that Ioka has done almost every year since 2011.
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On June 19, 2019 at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan, Ioka (27-2, 15 KOs) defeated Aston Palicte for the vacant WBO super flyweight/junior bantamweight title in his second attempt to become a four-weight champion.
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In the tenth round, after leading on all three judges' scorecards, Ioka scored a TKO victory to become the first Japanese boxer in history to win a major title in four weight classes.
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Ioka first fought in New Year's Eve by destroying Thailand's Yodgoen Tor Chalermchai by first round TKO in 2011 at the Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan defending his WBC mini-flyweight title.
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Then on December 31, 2012, he stopped Mexican José Alfredo Rodríguez by 6th round TKO at the Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan to win the vacant WBA (Regular) light-flyweight title.
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On the same date in 2013, he outclassed Nicaraguan Felix Alvarado by unanimous decision at the Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan to defend successfully his WBA (Regular) light-flyweight title.
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He halted Venezuelan Jean Piero Pérez by 5th round KO on December 31, 2014 at the Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Japan.
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Ioka next finished Argentina's Juan Carlos Reveco by 11th round TKO on December 31, 2015 at the Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan to retain his WBA (Regular) flyweight title.
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Next New Year's Eve victim was Thailand's Stamp Kiatniwat by 7th round TKO in 2016 at the Shimazu Arena, Kyoto, Japan to retain his WBA flyweight title.
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Ioka lost to Donnie Nietes by split decision on December 31, 2018 at the Macau Wynn Palace, Macau, China for the vacant WBO superflyweight championship.
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Then he outpointed Puerto Rican Jeyvier Cintrón by unanimous decision on New Years Eve 2019 at the Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan to defend his WBO superflyweight belt.
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Ioka frustrated countryman Kosei Tanaka to become a similar four-weight champion by stopping the previously unbeaten three-division champion via eighth-round TKO last New Year’s Eve 2020 at the Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan to defend his WBO super-flyweight title.
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Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) at present is one of boxing’s longest reigning champions, having held the IBF junior bantamweight title since September 3, 2016 when he outpointed McJoe Arroyo by unanimous decision in Taguig City.
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Ancajas last fought on April 10 winning by unanimous decision against Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut.
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He has defended his title against Chile's Miguel Gonzalez by 6th round TKO, Japan's Ryuichi Funai by 6th round TKO, Mexico's Alejandro Santiago by split draw, Filipino Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision, Mexico Israel González by 10th round TKO, United Kingdom's Jamie Conlan by 6th round TKO, Japan's Teiru Kinoshita by 7th round TKO and Mexico's José Alfredo Rodríguez by 7th round TKO.
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If the fight does push through, both titlists are still expected to engage in separate title defenses with Ioka most likely to retain his act as a New Year’s Eve starrer.
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Ioka's father Hiroki was a two-division champion and the first-ever WBC strawweight champion. While Kazuto is Japan’s only male fighter to win titles in four weight divisions.
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After the win over Tanaka, Ioka called for battles with the division’s best fighters, including two-division and WBA junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada, former four-division champ Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and former two-time WBC junior bantamweight champ Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
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But this never happened, as Ioka was mandated by WBO to fight the No. 1 contender and former strawweight champion Francisco Rodriguez of Mexico, whom he outpointed on September 1, 2020 by unanimous decision at the Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan .
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Following the win over Rodriguez, Ioka renewed his call on the division's best fighters and only one answered the challenge, the division’s longest reigning titlist Ancajas.
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Aside from his titles in four divisions, Ioka was victorious in the first-ever title unification bout involving reigning champions from Japan after outpointing Akira Yaegashi during their legendary fight on June 20, 2012 in Osaka, Japan to defend the WBC mini-flyweight title and win the WBA mini-flyweight title.
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Ioka went on to win the WBA light flyweight title later that year against Rodriguez, before moving up to win championships at flyweight from Reveco and the junior bantamweight over Palicte.
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If he prevails over Ancajas, Ioka would become the first-ever boxer from Japan to become a unified champion in two weight divisions.
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Ancajas has has not lost a fight since he was defeated by Mark Anthony Geraldo by majority decision on March 17, 2012 at the Hoops Dome, Lapu-Lapu City, where he lost the WBO Asia Pacific Youth junior-bantamweight title. Ancajas and Ioka have never been stopped in their career losses.
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Carmelo Anthony surpasses Moses Malone for the 9th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Anthony sank a third-quarter 3 pointer to score his 27,410th career point, leaving him trailing Shaquille O'Neal for 8th place.
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In a win against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony overtook Malone (27,409). He finished with 28 points in the 121-118 win and now behind Lakers legend and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (28,596 points) by 1,174 points for the No. 8 position.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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