By Joe Koizumi

A dual world title promotion will take place at the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan, on January 6. Unbeaten Japanese prospect Ginjiro Shigeoka (8-0, 6 KOs) will have an ambitious shot at the IBF minimumweight belt against Mexico’s defending champion Daniel Valladares (26-3-1, 15 KOs), over twelve rounds. In the main event, WBO 105-pound champ Masataka Taniguchi (16-3, 11 KOs), a Japanese southpaw, will take on WBO#2 Filipino Melvin Jerusalem (19-2, 11 KOs), in his second defense. The winner will be obliged to defend the belt against WBO #1 ex-titlist Wilfredo Mendez of Puerto Rico in the next defense. Shigeoka and Taniguchi both belong to Watanabe Promotions, but the local promoter in Osaka will be former three-class world champ Koki Kameda, who announced the doubleheader on Friday.