By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten two-class world champ Kosei Tanaka (10-0, 6 KOs), a Japanese enfant terrible at still 22, will participate in his first and tune-up bout in the flyweight category against WBO#12 Ronnie Baldonado (10-0-1, 7 KOs), a Filipino prospect, in Nagoya, Japan, on March 31.

WBO #1 Tanaka hopes to acquire his third world belt this year after he recently renounced his WBO 108-pound belt to pave the way for his previous challenger, Puerto Rican Angel Acosta to gain the WBO full championship prior to his bout with Juan Alejo on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Sadam Ali bout at Madison Square Garden last December. Currently ranked atop, Tanaka said, “I’m willing to challenge the WBO flyweight champion Sho Tanaka to win my third belt within this year.” Time will tell.