By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
WBA super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs) tipped the beam at 114.75, a quarter pounder lighter than the limit, while IBF counterpart Fernando Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs), from Argentina, scaled in at the 115-pound limit on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Their unification bout will take place tomorrow (Sunday) at Ryogoku Sumo Arena (AKA Ryogoku Kokugikan) by Shisei Promotions.
Ioka said, “I respect Martinez’ career and unbeaten record. But I’d like to concentrate on defeating him with my best effort.”
Martinez, accompanied by his promoter Marcos Maidana (who fought Floyd Mayweather twice ten years ago), also cooly said, “I’ll make it a great fight and win both belts. I appreciate Ioka having accepted this bout with both belts on the line.” Maidana, 40, also confidently said, “I know Ioka is an intelligent boxer, but we’ll bring back both belts to Argentina.”
Time will tell.
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Unfortunately no TV
This is a truly excellent match up
This is an excellent fight and surely the winner will be looking at fighting Bam next (especially if it’s Ioka with his history with Bam’s brother). I got Ioka by decision, but should be a good fight anyway.
How come Japanese fighters rarely fight outside of Japan
Because most don’t sign with promoters outside Japan. There might be a few but I can’t name any. They probably don’t want the disrespectful face-offs and the
trashy antics that go with it. Cultural
differences. For them, fighting in the states might be like fighting on another
planet. (I don’t blame them.)
The money’s probably pretty good in Japan.
They don’t need to-the organizations created these new divisions for smaller fighters knowing that many of them would be Japanese happy to pay the sanctioning fees for all the new titles.
Is a pencilweight lighter than a flyweight?
Never mind. Don’t answer that.
Probably better to not give the organizations reasons to create new divisions.