March 4, 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 today (Saturday). The weigh-in ceremony took place yesterday, and Niida tipped the beam at 104, while Barrera scaled in at the 105-pound class limit. The WBA officials are as follows: referee Derek Milham (Australia); judges Jean Francois Toupin (France), Chalerm Prayadsab (Thailand) and Wansoo Yuh (Korea); and supervisor Alan Kim (Korea).
Niida, 26, is a capricious and difficult person to handle. Just after he won the WBA minimum belt by defeating veteran Thailander Chana Porpaoin on points in 2001, the unbeaten youngster amazingly announced to hang up gloves without making even a single defense to shock the Japanese boxing world. The enfant terrible again stunned the aficionados by changing his mind to make a comeback in eleven inactive months and had a direct shot at the WBA belt against Noel Arambulet of Venezuela, losing a split decision in July 2003. The 5’2” tiny Japanese, however, regained his throne by revenging his sole setback to dethrone Arambulet in July 2004. He kept his WBA crown three times as he eked out a hairline verdict over interim champ Juan Landaeta of Venezulea, unanimously decisioned Korean Jaewon Kim of Korea and was awarded a 10th-round technical decision over mandatory challenger Eriberto Gejon due to the bad bleeding of the elongated Filipino challenger. Unfortunately Niida’s hard-punching ability hasn’t been displayed in his previous defenses, though he once proved he could really punch by dropping national champ Makoto Suzuki three times to capture the Japanese belt in January 2001. He is strongly expected to show his vaunted power-punching in this defense.
Ronald Barrera is a 21-year-old Colombian youngster, who wishes to follow a footstep of his elder brother and ex-IBF 105-pound champ Miguel Barrera. Miguel tasted his first defeat at the hand of Edgar Cardenas to lose his IBF belt and had to say an adios to the ring because of a brain surgery in 2003. The WBA #8 ranked Ronald is a young aspirant to climb up to the top. Ronald won the national 105-pound belt by beating Gustavo Cortez in September 2004, the first year that he turned professional. He then collected another Colombian 108-pound title by outscoring Alfonso de la Hoz in May of the previous year. Ronald faced Panamanian Carlos Melo in a quest for the WBA Fedelatin minimum belt only to experience his first defeat over 12 heats last October. Ronald, accompanied by his manager Jesus Agresott and his trainer Albenio Martinez, seems very much willing to produce an upset and bring the bacon to Colombia.
Barrera is a busy-punching switch-hitter, and he will attempt to confuse and frustrate the defending champ by shifting to southpaw and back to orthodox. Niida, however, is a hard-hitting counterpuncher who welcomes the onrushing challenger. By using Reyes gloves this time, Niida strongly hopes to display his KO triumph before fight fans who have been disappointed by his unexciting performance in the previous defenses. Niida, managed by ex-world top feather contender and Oriental champ Mitsunori Seki, is said to have improved his power and skills, and if so, he will make a successful defense against the less experienced challenger. Barrera, however, looks to have very good condition mentally and physically. There may be a possibility that he will bewilder the champ with his abundant stamina and tremendous aggressiveness.
This show is presented by Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Promotions in association with Kazunori Miyakawa’s Yokohama Hikari Promotions. It will start at 8:44 pm at the Hall.
(3-4-06)