Report, photo by Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten WBC youth flyweight champ Kento Hatanaka (9-0, 9 KOs), 21, the son of former WBC 122-pound ruler Kiyoshi, will face WBC #11 ranked Filipino southpaw Jayseber Abcede (19-8, 12 KOs) in the supporting bout to the WBO flyweight title go of Kosei Tanaka and Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez today (Saturday) in Nagoya, Japan.

For Kento, it will be the most important bout of his short but unblemished career since November 2016. Abcede displayed his strength to Japanese fans by disposing of our prospect Yuri Akui in eight rounds here last October. The promoter Kiyoshi, the first world champ ever produced in Nagoya, said, “I wish to have Kento follow my footstep and acquire the world belt in the near future.” Good luck.