By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

Unbeaten two-class world champ, Kosei Tanaka (8-0, 5 KOs) will make his initial defense of his second WBO junior flyweight belt against unbeaten top contender Angel Acosta (16-0, 16 KOs) in Nagoya, Japan, on May 20. It was announced by Hatanaka Promotions presided by former WBC 122-pound champ Kiyoshi Hatanaka yesterday.

Tanaka, an enfant terrible at 21, recently flew to Puerto Rico to watch a WBO eliminator to decide the mandatory challenger against him this February, when Acosta, 26, extended his unblemished mark by halting Namibian Japhet Uutoni in the tenth in Caguas there.

Tanaka respects Acosta’s perfect mark and knows well that Acosta is expected to be a second Wilfredo Gomez in Puerto Rico, but said, “It’ll be a good fight and it’ll be me that will be victorious.”