TOQUERO, LAS PINAS TO FIGHT IN JAPAN JULY 2

Argie Toquero (left) and Rikki Naito

By LITO DELOS REYES

FILIPINO boxers Argie “Bomba” Toquero and Rey “Stingray” Las Pinas are both fighting against separate Japanese rivals on July 2 at the Yano Fitness Center in Zama, Kanagawa, Japan.

Toquero (9 wins, 4 loses, 2 draws, 7 Kos) is facing lightweight Rikki Naito (14 wins, 1 loss, 0 draw) in the main event according to international matchmaker Brico Santig.

Las Pinas (21 wins, 12 loses, 6 draws, 12 Kos) will fight featherweight Junpei Toriumi (13 wins, 12 loses, 2 draws) in the undercard.

Both Toquero and Las Pinas are now managed by Aileen Syskowski of the Ferdenski Boxing Promotion.

The 22-year old Toquero, a native of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte won the vacant WBC Youth World super featherweight title by knocking out Takaya Kakutani only in the first round last October 4, 2014 at the La Trinidad Municipal Gym in Benguet.

Toquero, a southpaw, retained the title via a split draw with Ardie Boyose last June 12, 2015 at the L’ Fisher Hotel La Proa Ballroom in Bacolod City. However, the 5-foot-6 Toquero lost in a non-title fight in his previous outing to Xiang Xiang Sun by a 4^th round technical knockout last December 26 in Haikou, China.

The 24-year old Naito recently won by a unanimous decision against Chaiyong Chanthahong (40-15-4) last May 12 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. However, Naito lost his Japanese super featherweight crown by a technical decision Kenichi Ogawa last December 14 at the same venue.

Las Pinas, on the other hand, recently captured the Mindanao Professional Boxing Association (Minproba) super featherweight title by a UD win over Richard Betos last January 30 at the Santa Josefa Gym in Agusan del Sur.

Las Pinas is also a former Philippine Boxing Federation bantamweight title-holder. The 30-year old Las Pinas is already a veteran of eight national and international championship fights.

He fought but lost for the interim WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council lightweight title (Vage Sarukhanyan, UD), vacant International Boxing Organization Oceania super featherweight title (Joel Brunker, TKO), vacant WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council super featherweight title (David Browne Jr., UD), WBC Asian Boxing Council super featherweight title (Amphon Suriyo, UD), vacant Philippines bantamweight title (Monico Laurente, UD), vacant IBF Pan Pacific super bantamweight title (Jae Sung Lee, MD), WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title (Sod Kokietgym, UD) and the vacant WBO Oriental super bantamweight title (Nino Magboo, UD).

Toriumi (13-12-2) is making a comeback after winning two of his last three fights. He defeated fellow Japanese Masayuki Motohashi (TKO, 5^th round) and Shota Yukawa (UD) before losing to Takaomi Abe (MD) last May 2, 2011.

The boxing card is presented by the Katsumata Promotions.

Also pitted are super welterweight – Charles Bellamy (25-3-1) vs. Elfelos Vega (6-3-0); bantamweight – Chisa Tanaka (1-3-0) vs. Miyo Yoshida (3-0-0); featherweight – Toshio Ozawa (1-1-0) vs. Joji Kobayashi (0-2-0); flyweight – Kazuma Takahashi (1-0-0) vs. Yuta Nakayama (debut).