By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

We, in Japan, are in the midst of very hot summer with no less than 35 degrees Centigrade every day, and will see a hotly competitive twinbill with world titles on the line tomorrow (Sunday). WBA light-flyweight champ Ryoichi Taguchi (25-2-2, 11 KOs), Japan, will face mandatory challenger Robert Barrera (18-1, 12 KOs), from Colombia, over twelve rounds at Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo. Also, unbeaten Japanese prospect, former OPBF 105-pound ruler Hiroto Kyoguchi (7-0, 6 KOs) will have an ambitious shot at the IBF mini flyweight belt against Mexican Jose Argumedo (20-3-1, 12 KOs) in the main event.

All successfully made the weight today at the arena — Taguchi and Barrera both scaling at the 108-pound class limit. Argumedo tipped the beam at 104, a pound lighter than the limit, to 105 for Kyoguchi.

Prior to the weigh-in ceremony, we saw a press conference with mutual respects and high dignity rather than nasty antagonism. Argumedo proudly said, “Kyoguchi is a young and talented youngster with hard-punching, but I’ve prepared very well for this fight in Mexico and believe I will be victorious and bring back the belt to my country. If successful with no damage, I may appear on the undercard of the GGG-Canelo title bout in Las Vegas on September 16.”

Kyoguchi politely said, “I know the champion is more experienced, but I’ll attack with all my power and try to win the championship by a knockout.”

The taller Taguchi, making his sixth defense, cautiously said, “I’ll keep doing my boxing and decisively beat Barrera. If victorious, I’m willing to unify the belts in the end of this year.” His second next target will be WBO titlist in the same category Kosei Tanaka, as the latest issue of the Ring Magazine listed it (Taguchi versus Tanaka) as the Matchmaker’s Dream.

Barrera also expressed his confidence, saying, “I’ll be the new world champion and bring back the belt to Colombia. I know Taguchi is a good champion, but it will be I that will win this game.”

The officials are as follows:
WBA 108-pound title bout: referee Russell Mora (US); judges Roberto Ramirez Sr. (Puerto Rico), Alfredo Polanco (Mexico), Stanley Christodoulou (South Africa); supervisor Alan Kim (Korea).

IBF 105-pound title bout: referee Malik Waleed (US); judges Mike Fitzgerald (US), Carlos Colon (Puerto Rico), Masahiro Noda (Japan); Ben Keilty (Australia).

Do we feel hot or cool in watching boxing games? If watching a lousy bout, we may feel hot, while feel cool if watching a breathtaking knockout. We do need such comfortable coolness in a hot and humid summer in Tokyo.