WBC 118lb champ Luis Nery arrives in Japan

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten WBC bantamweight champ Luis Nery (25-0, 19 KOs), a Mexican southpaw, arrived on Tuesday in Japan to participate in a rematch with former titlist Shinsuke Yamanaka at the Ryogoku Sumo Arena, Tokyo, on March 1. Nery, 25, said, “Yamanaka is a tough opposition with good experience and hard-punching. He deserves a rematch to win back the WBC belt.” Asked about his previous positive doping test result, Nery replied, “That’s due to Mexican contaminated meat. No problem. This time I kept eating American generic meat, and that wouldn’t happen again.” Nery dethroned previously unbeaten Yamanaka on a fourth round stoppage last August here in Tokyo. In a confrontation of southpaws who will be the winner this time?