By Joe Koizumi
Previously four-division champ Kazuto Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs), 114.75, Japan, acquired the WBA super flyweight belt when he defeated former titlist Joshua Franco (18-2-3-1NC, 8 KOs), 121.5, US, by a unanimous decision (116-112 twice, 115-113) over twelve fast rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Franco had been stripped of his belt because of his failure to make weight, and Ioka thus won the belt despite a big weight difference of 6.75 pounds.
(More to come)
Ioka can’t hide from Junto Nakatani anymore
Franco got what he deserved after missing weight like that. Good on Ioka. 115 is interesting because, if you think about it, between Ioka, Gallo and Chocolatito, you have three active future HOFers and he hasn’t had the opportunity to fight either of the other two. However, in Japan they love those big NYE shows and you cannot get bigger right now than an Ioka – Nakatani unification imo.
When Ioka was a lighflyweight Teiken promotion offered him a fight against Roman Gonzalez for the title that Roman won from Akira Yaegashi, but his team rejected the idea completely
At that time they made a wise decision lol.
That guy Franco, his entire career, came to weigh ins between 114-118. Now comes for a 115 title fight at 121.5. If you are more than 1 weight class over for a title fight, the fight shouldn’t go on. If he came in at 118, it wouldn’t have mattered. I can see a problem for light heavyweights who go up to cruiserweight though. They have to try to bulk up as close to 200 lbs as they can. But Michael Spinks did it back in the mid 80s.Michael Spinks fighting today would be a 200 lbs cruiserweight from 86 to 88.
Nobody really cares about cruiserweight-even when only eight divisions many lightheavies tried moving up to heavyweight. Some successful because their speed made up for smaller size.
Congrats to Ioka as the guy who deserved to win won the fight.
Damn, dude weighed in as a super bantamweight fighting as a super flyweight.
I think a fighter that missed his/her weight it is because of indiscipline, or he/she outgrown the division. Which was Franco reason to miss weight?
I wonder if a fighter knows he/she will miss the weight by wide margin, why he/she dont let the promoter or his/her opponent know? He/She wait until the weight in like the extra weight will miraculously disappear
Inexcusable of Franco to fail to make weight. Glad Ioka prevailed.
Unification next ?!