By Joe Koizumi

WBO junior bantamweight champ Kazuto Ioka (27-2, 15 KOs) has announced to defend his belt against Japanese and WBO Asia Pacific titlist Ryoji Fukunaga (15-4, 14 KOs), a hard-punching southpaw nicknamed “Little Pacquaio”, on New Year’s Eve at the Ota-city General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. TBS Television makes it a rule to broadcast Ioka’s title defense on the last day of the year for years.

Originally Kazuto was slated to face IBF ruler Jerwin Ancajas for unification at the same venue on the same date, but it was pitifully canceled since our government, in the end of the previous month, abruptly declared a ban on foreign people’s entries into Japan in order to protect our country from a notorious emergence of omicron variant. It is very rare to stage a world title promotion in a couple of weeks after the public announcement. Our fight fans, however, will be able to watch another world title go within this year, which must be a good thing.