WBA/IBF 108lb champ Taguchi to face Budler next; Koki Kameda to make a comeback

By Joe Koizumi
Photo: Boxing Beat

Newly unified 108-pound champion of the WBA and the IBF, Japan’s Ryoichi Taguchi will face Hekkie Budler of South Africa next. Hitoshi Watanabe, his manager/promoter of Watanabe Promotions, mentioned on Monday that it had been a condition of the IBF to sanction the Taguchi-Melindo unification title bout since the Filipino had been ordered to meet Budler again after his controversial defense with him last September. Taguchi said, “After my Budler defense I’ll pursue my third unified belt.” He is truly an up-and-coming titlist.

Formerly three-time world champ Koki Kameda, 31, declared on Monday that he had an unfinished business, and will make a comeback venture. Kameda, the eldest of Kameda brothers, lost to WBA 115-pound defending champ Kohei Kono, a busy-punching compatriot, in Chicago in October 2015, and it became his final showing as he said a farewell to the ring warfare after the unset defeat. Should his comeback target be Kono, Kameda need not go and fight in Chicago but do it here in Japan—before our audience.