#13 Matsumoto to challenge WBA 122lb champ Roman

Report, Photos by Joe Koizumi

Japanese prospect, WBA#13 Ryo Matsumoto (21-1, 19 KOs) will make an ambitious shot at the WBA 122-pound throne against newly crowned titlist Daniel Roman (23-2-1, 9 KOs), US, in Tokyo, Japan, on February 28. It was announced by Ohashi Promotions on Wednesday.

Roman will make his first defense since he captured the WBA belt by stopping Japan’s Shun Kubo this September. Roman looked very sharp and smart in lopsidedly dethroning Kubo with well-timed and accurate combinations, which won the great praise of the audience in Kyoto.

Matsumoto, four-time high school champ, kept winning seventeen bouts straight since his pro debut in 2011, but he unfortunately suffered a parathyroid decease prior to his tune-up bout with an overmatched Mexican Victor Uriel Lopez only to be badly halted in the fifth round. After recovering for some seven months Matsumoto, a lanky puncher, engaged in a rematch and finally avenged his sole loss via sixth-round stoppage over Lopez last December. Since then, the hard-punching prospect scored four TKO wins to his credit.

The promoter Hideyuki Ohashi, fomer WBC/WBA 105-pound world champ, said, “We are happy to stage this title bout with such an excellent champion as Danny Roman. We wish it will be a good fight to entertain our fight fans.” Matsumoto simply said, “I’ll try to do my best to win the belt.”

Though Danny Roman is a technically much superior boxer, Matsumoto may have a puncher’s chance. This WBA title bout will be staged by Ohashi Promotions and will be telecast through Fuji Television here in Japan.