Philippines vs Japan in Boxing Continue
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 13 Feb 2024
A new chapter in Philippine versus Japan boxing rivalry continues this first quarter with Jerwin Ancajas and Takuma Inoue opening hostilities next Saturday, February 24.
Ancajas, a long time former IBF super flyweight titlist challenges Inoue for his newly won WBA bantamweight crown at the Kokugigan Stadium in Tokyo leading a triple world championship card.
In the supporting bouts-
Undefeated Junto Nakatani tries to win a third world title in as many division against reigning WBC bantamweight champion Alexandro Santiago Barrios of Mexico in another 12 round bout.
And former three division titlist and once beaten Kosei Tanaka disputes with another Mexican Christian Rangel in another bout slated for 12 rounds for the WBO super flyweight crown vacated by Nakatani.
Filipino world rated bantamweight Jonas Sultan clashes with Japanese Riku Masuda (3-1) in an 8 round bout.
On March 31 in Nagoya, two pairs of Japanese and Filipino boxers are colliding in scheduled 12 round bouts for two versions of the world title in the lowest boxing class.
WBC minimumweight champion Yudai Shigeoka stakes his crown against former WBO titlist Melvin Jerusalem.
Yudai's brother IBF titlist Ginjiro Shigeoka defends his title against veteran Ar Ar Andales.
Two world title bouts were held in 2023 involving Japanese and Filipino fighters with the result ending in 1-1 (This does not include the interim world title fight between the older brother Yudai and Rene Mark Cuarto won by Shigeoka by TKO).
Jerusalem knocked out Masataka Takayama to wrest his WBO minimumweight crown in February. In December Naoya Inoue knocked out Marlon Tapales to win his WBA and IBF super bantamweight titles and unify all major belts in the division.
Yudai is promising to exact revenge on Jerusalem for Taniguchi who belongs to their stable.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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