Ginjiro Shigeoka (left) assaults the physique of veteran Rey Loreto. Photograph by Naoki Fukuda
On Saturday, the Shigeoka brothers, Yudai and youthful sibling Ginjiro, will bid to grow to be world champions after they struggle for strawweight world titles on the identical card on the Ota-Metropolis health club in Tokyo, Japan.
Ginjiro (9-0, 7 knockouts), The Ring’s No. 4 ranked strawweight, will problem IBF titleholder Daniel Valladares (26-3-1, 15 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6 rated 105-pound fighter.
The 2 initially met on January 6 on the similar venue, the place a head-clash left the defending champion unable to proceed within the third spherical rendering the bout a no-contest. The reduce wasn’t absolutely healed for a projected spring rematch, after which Shigeoka suffered a foot damage curbing their August struggle.
“I’m grateful that we are going to have a rematch,” Shigeoka advised The Ring by means of translator Daisuke Shindo. “I’m going to win one hundred pc, and I’ll adapt to any scenario and present the distinction with my capability. I believe he’s a talented boxer. He has a typical Mexican boxing fashion, and in addition I believe he’s an skilled boxer.
Since they met earlier this 12 months the 23-year-old Japanese standout has grow to be extra battle-hardened at championship stage. He needed to overcome a troublesome begin the place he needed to get off the canvas to cease teak-tough former IBF titlist Mark Rene Cuarto (KO 9) in April.
“Happening for my first time ever was additionally an excellent expertise,” he stated. “I assumed I ought to have been extra calm at first.
“It was essential that I used to be in a position to dominate him with my jab. It was a fairly good expertise for me to have fought nine-rounds in opposition to a powerful boxer on the worldwide stage.”
Shigeoka may properly have fought for a world title earlier however has needed to stay affected person and bide his time for a world title struggle.
“Though I wasn’t in a position to struggle because of the coronavirus pandemic, I didn’t surrender on my dream and continued coaching day by day,” he stated. “Turning into a world champion is one among my large objectives, and I believe that’s the true start line.
“My brother and I need to conquer the minimal weight division by profitable two titles every. I don’t really feel like shedding to anybody. After my brother strikes as much as 108 lbs, I’ll defeat all of the champions to unify all of 4 titles.”
Shigeoka was a standout novice earlier than turning professional in September 2018. He notably stopped former world title challenger Rey Loreto (KO 5) in his fifth bout. His profession stalled when he didn’t struggle for 18-months because of the pandemic. The diminutive southpaw was doing a quantity on Valladares earlier than the struggle got here to a untimely conclusion. He impressively defeated Cuarto (TKO 9) in his most up-to-date bout.
Valladares received his first 11 fights earlier than he was out-hustled by journeyman Genaro Rios (MD 8). He rebounded to attain a pair of spectacular wins over former WBO strawweight titlist Merlito Sabillo (TKO 7) and snapped Christian Araneta’s unbeaten file (RTD 4). The Mexican’s struggle with then-IBF beltholder Pedro Taduran was shaping up properly when the he was reduce, and the competition resulted in a technical draw. The 29-year-old misplaced his manner, shedding back-to-back fights earlier than righting the ship and edging previous Cuarto (SD 12) to say the IBF title.
In the meantime Yudai (7-0, 5 KOs), The Ring’s No. 5 ranked strawweight, will face Petchmanee CP Freshmart (40-1, 24 KOs), The Ring’s No. 2 rated strawweight.
Freshmart received a number of regional belts earlier than claiming the WBC title by unseating long-reigning countryman Wanheng Menayothin in November 2020. The 32-year-old Thai has efficiently defended his title 4 instances, notably besting Menayothin (UD 12) in a rematch and Norihito Tanaka (UD 12/ TKO 8).
Yudai received 5 nationwide titles and had desires of representing Japan on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nevertheless, when his weight class was expunged, equally to Collazo, he elected to show skilled in October 2019. Though not fairly as extremely thought to be his youthful brother (Ginjiro), he’s nonetheless a superb fighter with a vivid future. He notably edged the extra skilled Tsubasa Koura (MD 12) in 2021 and stopped former world champion Wilfredo Mendez (KO 7) in his most up-to-date bout.
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