Pedro Taduran Aiming for Repeat Over Ginjiro Shigeoka
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 25 Feb 2025
Taduran (L) and Ginjiro Shigeoka exchange punches in their first fight.
IBF minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran is aiming for an equally impressive repeat victory over Japanese erstwhile titleholder Ginjiro Shigeoka in their rematch set this July 24 in Otsu, Japan.
In a radio telephone interview with Taduran via Zoom, he said that he is just taking it light and easy at the Elorde Gym preparatory to the start of his extensive training in April under his coach Carl Penalosa Jr. He added that his previous three months preparation helped him in beating Ginjiro by 9th round technical knockout on the way to winning the IBF title, his second reign in five years.
Taduran said he plans to again complete three months heavy training to achieve the excellent physical condition that allowed him to sustain his incessant fisted attack from the opening bell that rendered Ginjiro extremely damaged, helpless and ready to fall if not for the American referee stopping the carnage.
"We expect Ginjiro to make adjustments and surprise us with a new strategy," the 30-year-old Bicolano champion intimated. "But we will prepare for that and even come up with some new strategies of our own to surprise them."
But basically Taduran said the target is to achieve the same shape and conditioning he had in the first fight which only enhanced his advantage in strength and punching power over the younger and quite inexperienced Ginjiro (11-1-0).
Reviewing their first fight, it was evident that Ginjiro was awed and forced to respect Taduran's strength and fire-power. He likewise never expected Taduran to possess the staying power and the ability to take his best shots when he was still competitive.
Fact was, Ginjiro had nothing to respond to Taduran's ponderous two fisted attacks apart from clinching and pressing himself against the Filipino in a futile bid to somehow smother his offensive.
Ginjiro was particularly vulnerable to Taduran's left shots to the body that defending, left him also open to Taduran's right straights, crosses and hooks to the head. The Japanese tried fighting in a crouch position to protect his breadbasket but that only left him susceptible to Taduran's head-hunting. As early as the end of the third round, swellings had already developed on Ginjiro's face particularly in and around his left eye. Two rounds later, Ginjiro's left eye was just a slit and was bleeding from one nostril. It was tribute to his corner that they were able to somehow control the damage.
Ginjiro tried to fight from the distance riding his bicycle to circle around Taduran and keep the action in the middle of the ring. That worked for him but only for a few moments. As soon as Taduran cut him off and landed his blows, the fight was back in the corners and along the ropes where the Filipino continued to brutally maul the Japanese.
The fight could have been stopped earlier than the ninth as the Ring physician had visited Ginjiro's corner before the eighth but left the decision to the referee who gave the Japanese the benefit of the doubt.
The referee finally stopped the fight after Taduran had Ginjiro pinned along the ropes while raining him with powerful combinations. Ginjiro had to be bodily carried to his corner and rushed out of the arena on a stretcher.
Based on that first fight, Ginjiro who is regarded as the better of the Shigeoka fighting siblings, Yudai is the other, will have a taller order at redemption. Yudai is bidding to regain the WBC crown from tormentor Melvin Jerusalem next month.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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