May 29, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC bantamweight champ Hozumi Hasegawa (20-2, 7 KOs), Japan, will risk his belt against perennially highly-ranked contender Genaro Garcia (35-4, 20 KOs), Mexico, at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, on July 15. Hasegawa, a slick-punching and still improving southpaw, wrested the WBC throne by upsetting Thai legend Veeraphol Nakhornluang-Promotion in April of the previous year. The lefty successfully kept his belt twice by stopping Gerardo Martinez in seven last September and former champ Veeraphol in nine this March. The official challenger Garcia, who boasts of his second-round KO win over current IBF bantam champ Rafael Marquez in 2000, has been waiting long for his opportunity to have a crack at the world diadem, having recently defeated Adonis Rivas, Oscar Arciniega, Rodolfo Martinez, et al. This highly competitive mandatory title go will be promoted by Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions.
Japan will welcome three world title bouts to be held in July. On July 22, WBA 115-pound ruler Martin Castillo will put his belt on the line against top contender Nobuo Nashiro in Higashi Osaka. On July 30, WBC feather champ Takashi Koshimoto will defend his newly acquired belt against Rudy Lopez in Fukuoka. They are all Japanese versus Mexican confrontations.
(5-28-06)