By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Boxing Beat

Beneath the WBA 160-pound title bout between Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and Ryota Murata, we will watch a couple of WBC title bouts next Sunday (October 22). WBC flyweight champ Daigo Higa (13-0, 13 KOs) showed his good condition in his public training before press people on Friday before he faces Frenchman Thomas Masson (17-3-1, 5 KOs), four inches taller than the hard-punching titleholder at the Ryogoku Sumo Arena (Kokugikan).

Higa, five years his junior at 22, is favored to retain his belt against the more experienced European ruler due to his superior power punching.

Also unbeaten WBC 108-pound ruler Ken Shiro (10-0, 5 KOs) will participate in his initial defense against former champ Pedro Guevarra (30-2-1, 17 KOs) in the first title bout of the tripleheader presented by Teiken Promotions.

Ken, who dethroned Ganigan Lopez by an upset verdict this May, may have a tough time coping with the formidable and much more experienced Mexican challenger who had dethroned Akira Yaegashi with a devastating body shot here in 2014. Shiro is the son of former OPBF light heavyweight champ Hisashi Teraji.