June 10, 2003
NAGOYA, JAPAN-Tenyu Maruki Promotions has announced that Oscar Larios (49-3-1, 34 KOs), Mexico, will defend his WBC 122-pound belt against Japanese hard-puncher Kozo Ishii (31-3, 21 KOs) in Nagoya, Japan, on August 10.
Larios, making his third defense, kept his throne by a hard-fought unanimous nod over Japanfs Shigeru Nakazato in Tokyo last April, when he had the jaw broken midway in the 9th session. The Mexican champ was supposed to have a long rest after his successful operation. But the durable and strong Larios decided to return to the ring warfare so soon that he will take on Ishii, who had failed to win the WBA belt twice, losing to Nestor Garza (TKO12) in 1999 and to Yober Ortega (TKO11) in 2000-both in furiously contested battles. It will become a thriller of the hard-hitting combatants. In a supporting bout, WBC #7 ranked Hiroshi Watanabe will put his OPBF welter belt on the line against Filipino champ Dondon Sultan over 12 rounds.
(6-10-03)