Japanese boxing and the IBF may not have the best history together but it appears that the fighters are taking advantage of the newly opened door. We already have two world champions thanks to Daiki Kameda and Katsunari Takayama and soon we might have a third if Hozumi Hasegawa can beat Super Bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez.
Hasegawa might be known as the the “Nihon no ēsu” (Ace of Japan) but lets be honest, he has seen better days and is certainly not the fighter he used to be. He’s still very good but no longer an exceptional fighter like he was at his peak.
Interestingly for Japanese fans it seems Hasegawa isn’t the only fighter who wants the IBF Super Bantamweight title and on May 31st Hasegawa’s compatriot Yasutaka Ishimoto will fight in an IBF eliminator as he too tries to get his hands on the world title.
Ishimoto, who sports an average looking record of 24 wins from 30 fights, might not be a well known name but the hardcore fans will know of him. He did, in 2013, upset former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr in Macau in a result that saw Ishimoto plant himself into some world rankings. He will return to Macau for his May 31st fight as he battles with American Chris Avalos.
Avalos will be the favourite to win when he fights with Ishimoto and the big punching American does come with a good reputation. Although not the most skilled Avalos has beaten Asian opponents in the past with both Drian Francisco and Rolly Lunas and Ishimoto will know that Avalos has dynamite in his punches.
If Ishimoto and Hasegawa both manage to upset the odds then Japan might get it’s first ever All-Japanese IBF world title fight, an historic occasion for boxing fans from around the country!
Takahiro Onaga covers the Asian boxing scene for www.asianboxing.info
