January 20, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN-WBA 105-pound champ Yutaka Niida (19-1-3, 8 KOs), Japan, will put his belt on the line against Colombian Ronald Barrera (14-1-1, 8 KOs), at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, on March 4. Niidafs manager Mitsunori Seki, ex-Oriental feather champ who had fought Vicente Saldivar, Sugar Ramos and Howard Winstone, publicly announced his champfs fourth defense yesterday (Thursday).
Niida, 26, wrested the WBA belt by scoring a revenging victory over Venezuelan defending champ Noel Arambulet in July 2004. The short but hard-punching champ scored three defenses to his credit by defeating Juan Landaeta, Jaewon Kim and Eriberto Gejon. The Colombian made his pro debut in the previous year, when he won eleven bouts straight including six stoppages. Barrera failed to acquire the WBA Fedelatin belt as he lost to Carlos Melo in Panama last October. Itfs his first and last setback, and he decked a comeback win over Yorkin Herrera by a fourth round KO in November. Niida, a notoriously capricious titlist, is hoped to show a good performance and keep his belt.
(1-20-06)