Ring Officials Assigned: Jose Oliver Gomez Supervises Ioka vs Franco Dec 31 in Tokyo, Japan

Accomplished ring official Jose Oliver Gomez of Panama will supervise Kazuto Ioka vs Joshua Franco December 31 in Tokyo, Japan.

Gomez – who serves as advisor to WBA President Gilberto Mendoza – will lead the outstanding team of international officials assigned to the intriguing WBA/WBO super flyweight unification battle between 4-division world champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan and Mexican-American Joshua Franco, the fight that close the boxing calendar for 2022.

The referee in charge will be experienced referee lady Ms. Melva Santos of Puerto Rico; while the trio of veteran judges is comprised of Ferlin Marsh of New Zealand, Stanley Christodoulou of South Africa and Roberto Torres of Puerto Rico. Most of them have already arrived in The Land of the Rising Sun on time for Friday’s weigh-in.

The skilled 33-year-old WBO Super Flyweight world champion Kazuto Ioka (29-2, 15) is together with undisputed bantamweight king Naoya Inoue the two most shinning stars in Japanese boxing.

Ioka’s tradicion of closing the year on New Year’s eve with boxing has been hugely anticipated by fans for years, this year being a unification rumble makes the show even more exciting as Ioka’s opponent WBA titlist Joshua Franco (18-1-2, 8 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas, is a talented younger fighter so much eager to take his boxing career to another level.

A win of Franco over Ioka in his homeland of Japan would do just that.

Will the popular veteran Kazuto Ioka have more than enough ring smarts, slick moves and boxing repertoire to deal with the fighting abilities of Franco, nicknamed “El Professor” for his fine class?

Who of the two warriors will emerge victorious and “the new unified WBA/WBO champion of the world” on New Year’s Eve at the Ota City Gym?

Kazuto Ioka vs Joshua Franco is promoted by Takuya Kiya of Shisei Promotions live on TBS.

May the Best Man Win