By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

The Season 2 of World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) will start here in Japan on Sunday. We saw a press conference of all the contestants for the triple main event in attendance today (Friday).

The deluxe card will be as follows:
WBA 118-pound title bout: Naoya “Monster” Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs) versus Juan Carlos Payano (20-1, 9 KOs);
WBA 140-pound title bout: Kiryl Relikh (22-2, 19 KOs) versus Edward Troyanovsky (27-1, 24 KOs);
WBC 108-pound title bout: Ken Shiro (13-0, 7 KOs) versus Milan Melindo (37-3, 13 KOs)

Kalle Sauerland, the WBSS organizer, expressed his great pleasure to have the first show of the Season 2 staged in Japan and said it would be shown in some 120 countries.

Naoya Inoue said, “I am in my career-best condition, and wish to show my very best form in this important tournament. I hope to prove I’m the best bantamweight in the world. Payano is an experienced and skillful ex-champion, whom I respect very much. I look forward to exchanging gloves with him.”

Juan Carlos Payano, from Dominican Republic, showed his motivation, saying, “Winning one round after one round, I’ll proceed this fight and the winner will be me.”

For Naoya, today is the one-year birthday of his first son, but he said, “I’d like to concentrate on this fight, and then celebrate his birthday afterward.”

The show will take place at the Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan to be presented by Ohashi Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.