August 9, 2003
NAGOYA, JAPAN-WBC 122-pound champ Oscar Larios (48-3-1, 33 KOs), Mexico, will defend his belt against Japanese prospect Kozo Ishii (31-3, 22 KOs) at the Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on September 7.
This title bout was originally scheduled on August 10, but was inevitably postponed because of Ishii’s pain on the back during his strenuous workout. Larios, 26, captured the WBC interim belt by demolishing compatriot Israel Vazquez in the 12th and final round in May 2002. The Mexican banger made short work of the WBC ruler Willie Jorrin in the opening canto to become the legitimate champ last November. Larios barely kept his WBC throne by a unanimous but grueling decision over less skillful but hard-hitting Japanese Shigeru Nakazato in Tokyo last April, though he had his jaw broken by his opponent’s left hook in the ninth round.
Ishii, 25, failed to win the world 122-pound crown twice, as he fought on even terms with the then WBA champ Nestor Garza until the 11th round but was stopped in the final stanza in 1999, and was halted by Venezuelan Yober Ortega in 11 hard-fought rounds in 2000. Ishii, a shorter but hard-punching fighter, won eight straight since his last defeat by Ortega, beating world-rated Thailander Saohin Sirithaicondo (who displayed a gutsy performance against Paulie Ayala), Korean champ Kyongchul Park, Mexican Samuel Ventura, and Thai champ Wichit Chuwatana to his credit.
Ishii, handled by ex-world junior light challenger Takao Maruki (who failed to win the WBA belt by a 15-round decision to Samuel Serrano), thinks that it will be his last opportunity to fight for the world belt, and devotes all himself to hard training. Larios, more experienced than the Japanese, is reported to reschedule his training in preparation for the postponed date. It will be a very interesting bout of the hard-hitters, which may not last full rounds.
(8-9-10)