Japan Update: World Title Fights Announced

Fightnews.com

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Boxing Beat

Every day there’s a press conference here in Tokyo, Japan. On Monday, Watanabe Promotions announced a dual WBA world title bout featuring mandatory defenses. On August 31, WBA 115-pound champ Kohei Kono, a Japanese veteran, will face ex-titlist Luis Concepcion of Panama in Tokyo. In the main event on the same show, WBA 108-pound ruler Ryoichi Taguchi will cope with top contender and ex-champ Ryo Miyazaki, also of Japan, over twelve heats.

On Tuesday, Ohashi Promotions announced that Satoshi Shimizu, formerly bronze medalist in the bantam category in London Olympic Games in 2012, would make a professional debut under Ohashi Gym. He is a very tall 5’11” featherweight prospect.

On Wednesday, Teiken Promotions also announced a world title twinbill, in which Shinsuke Yamanaka will make his eleventh defense against Anselmo Moreno, a Panamanian puzzling southpaw, in a rematch in Osaka, Japan, on September 16. On the same bill, former WBC bantam ruler Hozumi Hasegawa will make an ambitious crack at the WBC 122-pound belt against elongated Mexican champ Hugo Ruiz in the semi-windup.