By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBC bantamweight champion Luis Nery (25-0, 19 KOs), from Mexico, participated in a public workout at Teiken Gym on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

Prior to his direct rematch with ex-champ Shinsuke Yamanaka next week, the Mexican southpaw demonstrated his confidence as well as his good condition after strenuous training in Mexico. Nery, twelve years his junior at 23, confidently said, “This championship belt is for my newly born daughter in December, and I have to bring it back to her.”

Luis Nery dethroned Yamanaka, previously unbeaten southpaw making his thirteenth defense, with a fourth round stoppage here last August, and this will be his first defense. Nery said, “Yamanaka’s weakness is that he is not good at pressure of his opponent. He looked bewildered when I put pressure on him. I’ll watch his left hand, the strongest weapon of Yamanaka, but his right hand wasn’t so strong.”

Nery said he’s still about eight pounds over the 118-pound limit, but there’s no problem. The Mexican said, “After I defeat Yamanaka, I wish to fight Carlos Cuadras, Naoya Inoue, Zolani Tete, etc.” We are looking forward to watching a highly anticipated revancha (rematch) of the hard-punching bantams, which will take place at the Ryogoku Sumo Arena the capacity of which is 11,000.