By Carlos Costa
FUZHOU, China — The boxing heat is on as all fighters defeated the scale ahead of the exciting WBA world title double-header.
In the main event, fan-friendly WBA Featherweight (Regular) World Champion Xu Can (徐灿) scaled-in at 125.77 pounds (57.05 kilos) while his tough opponent heavy-handed Japanese former super bantamweight world champion Shun Kubo (13-1, 9 KO’s) stepped-in at 125.66 pounds (57 kgs) in a clash of civilizations destined to become a non-stop action-packed Asian thriller.
The Chinese Monster — a quick, coming-forward fighter who aims at landing his punches in combinations of three or four — battles a tough challenge from the focused hard-hitting samurai from Kobe, Japan, a man wanting to become a two-division world champion.
Will Shun Kubo find his rhythm and precise timing to overpower Xu Can, the third boxing world champion born in mainland China… here in the Monster’s own hometown?
Or will the monster from the Middle Kingdom Xu effectively outbox, outsmart and keep at bay the devastating power of the warrior from the Land of the Rising Sun?
The boxing show, produced by China’s top promoter Liu Gang of Max Power Promotions, will be televised live on China’s CCTV 5 and streamed live online free on the WBA’s web site: wbaboxing.com
Times for the broadcast are 4 AM EST, 7 AM PST (May 26)
CO-FEATURE: SHO KIMURA CHALLENGES WORLD CHAMPION CAÑIZALEZ
In the card’s co-main event, Japanese former world champion Sho Kimura (18-2-2, 11 KO’s) — the very same dangerous flyweight fighter who rocked and damaged the eye of former Top Rank star Zou Shiming, ending his stellar career — comes down one weight-class to light fly to challenge the reigning, defending WBA Light Flyweight (Regular) World Champion Carlos Cañizales (21-0-1, 17 KO’s), a relentless gladiator who just loves to knock out opponents.
Carlos Cañizales naked weighed-in at 107.91 pounds (48.95 kgs), while Sho Kumura made pounds 107.47 lbs (48.75 kilos)
In his last world title defense last July in Malaysia, the rough brawler from troubled Venezuela brutalized his unknown Chinese challenger Lu Bin, stopping him in the last second of the last round, sending him dizzy, vomiting and beaten up to a Kuala Lumpur hospital. Lu Bin hasn’t fought ever since.
Could Cañizales do such a thing to a world-class pro as Sho Kimura? Or will it be the experienced laser-focused Nippon warrior Sho Kimura (木村翔) be the one to deal the undefeated Cañizales his first crushing defeat to become the new champion of the world at 108, after being champion at 112?
MORE WBA TITLE WARS
In addition, WBA # 3 world-ranked flyweight Wulan Tuolehazi (11-3-1, 5 KO’s) of China’s northwestern Xinjiang region came in at 111.88 pounds (50.75 kilos) for the first defense of his WBA International Flyweight title against “The Filipino Jackal” Ardin Diale (35-13-4, 17 KO’s), a man of experience who wants so bad to be among the world’s best 112-pounders. This is his golden chance. The Jackal made 111.44 lbs (50.55 kgs).
Will Diale be able to seize the day to climb even higher in the WBA flyweight world rankings?
Or will it be Diale the one to emerge victorious? In fact, boxing fans in the Philippines call Ardin Diale “The Jackal” for a reason.
Let’s find out what can the “Jackal” can do against Wulan Tuolenzi, a fearless and glory-hungry Chinese warrior.
PLUS WBA ASIA RUMBLE
In a hot WBA Asia title war, unbeaten 21-year-old Chinese super featherweight Shichao Gao (3-0-1, 1 KO) in his 5th fight has been given the tough mission of defeating the far more experienced world-ranked Anurak Thisa (23-1, 9 KO’s) of Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand.
Gao of the Max Power stable made 129.52 pounds (58.75 kilos), while Thisa of Thailand’s Galaxy Boxing came-in at 129.30 lbs (58.65 kgs)
At first sight, the battle seems kind of unbalanced with Gao still developing his skills getting pitted against Anurak Thisa, a more matured 27-year-old fighter who has already fought for the world title.
Is the lanky Gao a hidden fighting diamond that his confident handlers know that we do not know? Sunday we’ll find out.
Gao and Thissa will collide for the vacant WBA East Asia Super Featherweight Belt. May the best man win.
The WBA World Title Double-Header Sunday, May 26, at Fuzhou City Sports Center in Jiangxi Province, southeastern China, is a production of Liu Gang’s Max Power Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, Beijing’s plush five-star M 23 Gym and China’s sports channel CCTV 5.
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The author Carlos Costa is a boxing reporter living in the Philippines. Carlos can be reached at carlos512@hotmail.com and
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