Mexican Jose Antonio Aguirre, 26-1-1, 16 KOs, will make an anticipated mandatory defense against Wolf Yasuo Tokimitsu(right photo), 19-3, 11 KOs, Japan, at Okayama Budokan (Martial Arts Hall), Okayama City, Japan, on November 11.
Aguirre, making his 4th defense, captured the 105-pound belt by scoring an upset decision over the then defending champ Wandee Chor Chareon in Thailand in February, 2000. Wandee had kept his WBC throne by a 12th round TKO over Tokimitsu in Kurashiki in May, 1999. The hard-hitting Mexican kept his diadem by beating Jose Luis Cepeda (KO5), Erdene Chulun (KO4) and Manny Melchor (W12) to his credit.
Aguirre, however, underwent a surgery of the right shoulder and has been inactive for some 9 months, though he has been unbeaten in 14 bouts since his first and last defeat by Cruz Zamora on points in June, 1997. Tokimitsu registered 6 wins in a row with four within the distance since his failure to wrest the WBC crown from Wandee.
Aguirre, two years his senior at 26, is an upright stylist whose straight right is a dangerous weapon, but does not have good defensive skill, as shown in his previous defenses. He has a defect to have trouble with a fast-handed opposition. Tokimitsu, a busy footworker with superior speed, is a game boxer-puncher, but is about two inches shorter than the champ. Aguirre’s longer reach may be a nuisance for the Japanese challenger to get inside and batter him with his favorite combination.
It was a real shocker that the newly crowned Yutaka Niida abruptly announced to retire undefeated and renounce his WBA 105-pound belt despite his coronation by beating Thai veteran Chana Porpaoin last August.
The WBA finally sanctioned an elimination bout between ex-champs Keitaro Hoshino(right photo) (22-7, 6 KOs), Japan, and Filipino Joma Gamboa (31-6-1, 22 KOs) at Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama City, on January 29. The winner will be obliged to defend the title against the WBA’s leading available contender in his first defense.
Gamboa, then an interim champ, unified the WBA throne by outscoring Venezuelan Noel Arambulet in August of the previous year. But the Filipino failed to keep it in his first defense since, as he dropped an upset verdict to unheralded veteran Hoshino in December that year.
Hoshino also failed to defend his belt against the top contender Chana Porpaoin, who also lost to Niida in his first defense. It means that we saw four WBA 105-pound champs change in a year.
Neither Hoshino nor Gamboa is such an excellent superstar as Ricardo Lopez, but they will show a competitive grudge fight. Hoshino is more skillful, but Gamboa is more powerful. We hope to see a better fight than their first encounter in which Gamboa didn’t show his good condition and form to lose against expectations.
Unbeaten Thailander Samson Kratindaeng-Gym scored his 37th defense of the WBF super-flyweight belt as he decisioned Filipino Orly Padillo over 12 rounds at Sonkra Province, Thailand, on October 26. Samson, 42-0, 36 KOs, already surpassed Joe Louis’ 25 defense and will keep his less prestigious title as long as he likes, since he has been defending it against less known Filipino boys. It will be up to you how you will evaluate this Thailander’s unimaginable record. For your reference, the Filipino challenger Padillo is now unranked even by the Philippine domestic ratings but rated No.7 in the bantam division in the GAB ratings as of June of this year.
Heavy: Peter Okhello, an Ugandan residing in Nagoya, will defend his regional title of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) against Australian champ Bob Mirovic in Nagoya, Japan, on December 1. This will be the OPBF mandatory defense upon the OPBF headquarters’ sanction.
Middle: Naotaka Hozumi, who recently dethroned previously unbeaten Kevin Palmer last August, will fight a non-title bout against Korean Jinyul Song in Tokyo on November 15. Hozumi went to New York to see the unification bout of Bernard Hopkins dismantling Felix Trinidad in the final session. Hozumi is gunning for a world title shot in the future.
Super-welter: The WBC No.11 ranked Akira Ohigashi will fight ex-OPBF champ Kookyul Song, a twin brother of the aforementioned Jinyul Song, for an interim OPBF title in Osaka on December 20. The winner and interim champ is to meet the newly crowned OPBF ruler Nadar Hamden, Australia, next spring.
Welter: Unbeaten southpaw Rev Santillan will engage in a rematch with Japanese prospect Hiroshi Watanabe with his OPBF title at stake in Nagoya on November 25. They battled to a draw in their first encounter last August.
Super-light: Fast-rising lefty Masakazu Satake will risk his OPBF 140-pound title against upcoming hard-puncher Hironari Oshima in Tokyo on December 10.
Light: The vacant throne will be disputed by Filipino national champ Dennis Laurente and unbeaten Japanese prospect Yosuke Otsuka in Nagoya on November 23.
Super-feather: The WBC No.4 rated Tiger Ari, a southpaw veteran, is to face the mandatory challenger and compatriot Randy Suico, WBC No.5 contender, in his next defense. Suico, Philippine national champ, already confirmed his position as the top contender when he halted Australian champ Karim Nasher in the opening canto on August 31.
Feather: The newly crowned Takashi Koshimoto is under negotiation for a mandatory defense with the top-ranked Toshikage Kimura, but their negotiation has met a deadlock on the matter of fight site.
Super-bantam: Now that Osamu Sato relinquished his OPBF belt, the vacant throne will be contested by the WBC No.13 ranked Akihiro Kanai and ex-OPBF champ Yongin Cho in Osaka on December 20.
Bantam: We have not heard any new schedule of the current champ Jess Maca after he successfully kept his belt against Japanese prospect Ryuichi Minoriyama last September.
Super-fly: The OPBF title was renounced by Kazuhiro Ryuko, and the vacant title will be fought by unbeaten prospect Eiji Kojima and Korean champ Keunsik Lee in Osaka on December 3.
Fly: Unbeaten southpaw Hiroshi Nakano will defend his title against Thailand’s Panomdetch Auyuthanakorn in Nagoya on November 4.
Light-fly: Korean Pilkoo Kang will put his title on the line against upcoming Japanese Tatsuo Hayashida in Tokyo on December 10.
Minimum: The defending champ Hiroshi Nakajima is under negotiation with WBC No.9 ranked Jaewon Kim early next year, but the champ’s party is reportedly doing a tough talk with the Korean party.