By David Finger

Comebacks are never easy, just ask the city of Kumamoto in Japan. It’s been eight months since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake forever changed the city of over 731,000 people. Fifty people were killed and thousands more were injured in what was one of the worst natural disasters of 2016. But if one local boy gets his way, Kumamoto might just be known as something else come February: a city of champions.

WBO #2 ranked mini-flyweight contender Tatsuya Fukuhara (18-4-6, 7 KOs) is looking to do what Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints did for The Big Easy after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city: give them a world champion. Fukuhara will get his chance on home ground on February 26 when he takes on #1 ranked Moises Calleros (25-6-1, 14 KOs) of Mexico at the Matsushima Athletic Park Gym, Kami-Amakusa City in Kumamoto. The bout was first discussed back in October at the WBO convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico when representatives from WBO mini-flyweight champion Katsunari Takayama indicated that he would be unable to make a timely title defense due to an injury and would not be opposed to vacating the title to allow time for him to recover.

This week it became official as Fukuhara and his team held a press conference to announce the coming world title fight. There was no question that it was the culmination of a lifelong dream for the Japanese boxer, but that he would be carrying the hopes of his entire city on his back. Fukuhara took some time to speak with Fightnews through a translator about his upcoming world title fight.

How does it feel being so close to your lifelong dream: a world title fight?

My lifelong dream—that’s right! I became a professional boxer in 2008, won the Japan title in November of last year, and have defended it three times. And now this: a chance at the world title. It means so much to me, it’s hard to express. In April we had a terrible earthquake here in Kumamoto. Many people were seriously injured, lost their homes, their jobs—many even lost their lives. Even Kumamoto castle, the historical, spiritual symbol of my hometown, was crushed to pieces. But we’ve started to pick ourselves up and rebuild. If I can win this world title, it’s going to give people here a spark. This is a big opportunity for me to help people here in Kumamoto. And not just people in Kumamoto. I want to be a good example for all people around the world to help show that no matter what disasters we suffer, there is hope—through honest effort, teamwork and determination, all people all over the world can recover from hard times, overcome obstacles and accomplish their dreams. So yes—my chance at the world title—what an incredible chance. I’m really, really happy about it. I’m so happy about it, I’d even fight him right now!

What do you know about Moises Calleros and how are you mentally preparing for a showdown?

To be honest, I don’t know much about him. Mexico and Japan have an intense rivalry in boxing that goes back many years. So I know Mr. Calleros will be tough—but I’m going to put it all on the line.

In 2013 you lost back-to-back fights to Yu Kimura and Takuma Inoue. But rather than be discouraged you now find yourself in a potential fight for the vacant title. How did you overcome adversity to position yourself into a title fight?

I stayed positive and did my best to use everything I learned in those back-to-back losses to win my next fights one-by-one, and to keep pushing myself to learn and grow as a fighter and as a person, little-by-little, step-by-step.

What did you learn from those early setbacks and how are you a better fighter today as a result?

More than anything else, I learned patience. As you know, Mr. Kimura won the Japan title in his next fight after ours, and then the world title last year. And Mr. Inoue—a young star, like his brother—will also be fighting for a world title soon. I’m from a small town and a small gym, Honda Fitness. My hometown—Kumamoto—is famous for its hot springs, ramen, and Mt. Aso, an active volcano. It’s taken some time, and it hasn’t been easy, but I never lost faith in myself and those around me. I believed in myself and my trainer-manager-promoter, Mr. Kenya Honda, and kept working hard.

In two of your last three fights you took on very strong undefeated opponents in fights for the Japanese title. You won both of them in impressive fashion, including a knockout earlier this month against former amateur standout Genki Hanai. Did you feel those fights were your two best performances as a professional?

Wow! You know a lot about boxing in Japan! I really appreciate your kind words and attention. And I want to thank you and all your readers sincerely for the opportunity to engage in this interview with you for the English-language audiences around the world. It is an honor and a pleasure. As for my best performance… I would like to showcase my best performance in my upcoming World Title Fight.

How would you describe your style? What is your biggest strength in the ring?

I’m a slugger who likes to attack. I go for broke. My biggest strength is my heart.