Report, Photos by Joe Koizumi

This reporter sometimes wonder why such pretty girls exchange punches in the ring, but such an impression repeated at the weigh-in yesterday. WBO female flyweight champion Nana Yoshikawa (7-1, 4 KOs) will make her initial defense against Mexican national titlist Monserrat Alarcon (8-3-2) today (Saturday) in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Yoshikawa, who turned professional late after her long amateur career, acquired the world belt in her eighth bout by defeating Korean Eun-Hye Lee in the title bout for the vacant championship. Yoshikawa, trained by her husband Shinji Nogami, tipped the beam at the 112-pound class limit, while Alarcon a quarter pound lighter at 111.75.

Yoshikawa said, “I wish to show a good performance to respond to my supporters and defend my belt.” Alarcon, also a cute girl, expressed her ambition, saying, “I’d like to bring back the world belt to Mexico.” Monserrat is accompanied by her promoter Hector Garcia and trainer Agustin Vazquez.

The officials are as follows: referee Danrex Tapdasan (Philippines); judges Surat Soikrachang (Thailand), Edward Ligas (Philippines) and Takeo Harada (Japan); WBO supervisor Leon Panoncillo (US). This show is presented by Sakai Higashi Mitsuki Promotions.