Vacancies Galore at Light Fly, Flyweight
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Jun 2024
Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez has moved up (again) to the super flyweight where he will be meeting long reigning Mexican WBC super champion Juan Francisco "El Gallo" Estrada this weekend to determine who really is who at 115 lbs.
Rodriguez left his two world titles (IBF and WBO) vacant at flyweight in the wake of his return to super flyweight where he had previously won and held the WBA and WBC regular belts.
Earlier Mexico's Julio Cesar Martinez also vacated his once long held WBC flyweight title to campaign at super flyweight where he has had a previous brief stint, losing to the legendary Nicaraguan champion Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez.
These developments have domino effect on the next lower weight division, the light flyweight where at least one world titleholder, Puerto Rico's Jonathan Gonzalez has himself vacated his WBO belt to vie for the vacant WBO crown left by Rodriguez. Gonzalez will be contesting that title against #2 rated Japanese Rikku Kano.
The latest news is that unified WBC and WBA light flyweight titlist Kenshiro Teraji is interested to vie for the vacant WBC flyweight title most possibly against former WBA champion Artem Dalakian of Russia. It is not clear if Teraji will vacate his WBC and WBA light flyweight titles which is also very possible.
The IBF has earlier ordered its top two contenders, Mexico's Angel Ayala and the Philippines' Dave Apolinario to battle for its vacant flyweight championship.
The WBO light flyweight crown left by "La Bomba" Gonzalez is most likely to be contested by Japan's Shokichi Iwata and Mexico's Jairo Noriega though Iwata could opt to fight for the WBC belt should Teraji vacate it being also the top rated contender there. In that possibility, Filipino Regie Suganob and Thai Thanomsak Simsri will be in the running.
Iwata's most likely foe for the WBC belt should Teraji leave it is Mexican Carlos Canizales who had earlier gave Teraji a hard fight.
The IBF light flyweight tiara is held by South Africa's Sivenathi Notshinga who is set to defend against another Japanese ex titlist Masamichi Yabuki who has replaced injured original mandatory challenger Filipino Christian Araneta.
But wait, there could possibly be more.
Imagine the domino effect if undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya "The Monster" Inoue decides to move up to the featherweights and leaves all of his four belts at 122 lbs vacant by the end of the year or early next year.
Most if not all four Japanese holding the world championships at bantamweight, especially Junto Nakatani will surely step up to fill up the vacancies to be left behind by Inoue, creating more vacancies at 118. Unfortunately, we only have Vincent Astrolabio to vie for vacant titles in that eventuality.
But should Inoue move up to the featherweights, we can count on former champions Marlon Tapales and Johnriel Casimero and the youthful Carl Jammes Martin as our best title contenders at 122.
Abangan ang mga susunod na kabanata.
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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