July 29, 2006
FUKUOKA, JAPAN
Newly crowned WBC featherweight champ Takashi Koshimoto (39-1-2, 17 KOs), a 35-year-old southpaw, will put his belt on the line against Mexican youngster Rudy Lopez (18-2, 12 KOs), 13 years his junior at 22, tomorrow (Sunday) in Fukuoka, Japan. Koshimoto and Lopez each scaled in at the 126-pound class limit at the weigh-in ceremony today.
The WBC officials are as follows: referee Ian John Lewis (England); judges Ed Kugler (US), Jack Woodburn (Canada) and Larry O’Connell (England); and supervisor Rex Walker (US).
It was last January that Koshimoto captured the WBC throne via upset split verdict over Korean defending champ Injin Chi here. It was a very close affair, but a deduction of a point from an uncut boxer Chi after an accidental butt eventually gave an edge to the Japanese lefty. The 5’9” lanky Koshimoto is a crafty upright lefty who utilizes southpaw jabs, counters with sharp straight lefts and moves side-to-side well. He has lost just once in his 14-year career when he had an ambitious crack at the WBA throne against Freddy Norwood only to sink flat in the ninth canto in 2000. He has been unbeaten since in 16 bouts, having kept his OPBF feather crown seven times to his credit.
Rudy Lopez, hailing from Cancun, is a fresh and up-and-coming Mexican, who holds the WBC youth 126-pound title as he acquired it by finishing Jesus Perez in four rounds in February of the previous year. But Lopez, a good-looking boxer-puncher, failed to collect the Mexican national belt due to a fourth round KO defeat by Carlos Garcia last December. Lopez kept his WBC youth belt as he finally caught Fredy Blandon in the tenth in his home-turf Cancun in the event of Night of Champions this January.
The champ Koshimoto is a prefight favorite because of his superior experience and puzzling southpaw stance. Lopez will have a difficulty coping with the shifty and speedy champ, who is good at countering an onrushing opponent. Lopez, though two inches shorter at 5’7”, is also a stylish fighter, even if he is still developing and improving in every aspect.
There might be a possibility of Lopez becoming an enfant terrible as he entered training camp of Marco Antonio Barrera to be coached by Baby Face Assassin’s well-reputed trainer Rudy Lopez and also advised by Barrera’s elder brother Jorge. The trainers accompanied the young Mexican to Fukuoka and will work the corner tomorrow. But Koshimoto is a good boxer with speed and skills who usually shows a scientific way of fighting by hitting without getting hit. Should he not take an unlucky punch, he may most probably give a lesson to the less experienced challenger.
Reviewing history of Japanese world champs defending his belt against Mexican challengers, there have been some successful and unsuccessful examples. Yoshiaki Numata, WBC 130-pound kingpin, failed to keep his belt against young and tall Ricardo Arredondo, succumbing in the tenth round in 1971. Guts Ishimatsu, WBC lightweight ruler, had a very tough time with then unheralded Arturo “Tury” Pineda to be held to a disputed split draw in 1974. But Kuniaki Shibata, WBC feather champ, made his initial defense after surprisingly dethroning Vicente Saldivar via twelfth ound stoppage in Tijuana, and engaged in a first defense to polish off Raul Cruz in the opening session in 1971.
Should Koshimoto victorious to keep his belt, he will be obliged to face ex-champ Chi in his second defense by the option agreement. Chi’s promoter Kusung Lee of Korea arrived in Fukuoka today and will witness the title go here. There will be a negotiation on a grudge fight between Koshimoto and Chi to decide whether it will take place either in Korea or in Japan.
Koshimoto, a prohibitive favorite, had better be careful against Lopez’s unexpected improvement or his 120% display of his underestimated real power, since Mexican boxers usually never get intimidated but motivated in such great opportunities. The veteran champ may make good use of his longer reach to frustrate the youngster and look forward to good openings to counterpunch the aggressive challenger. There is, however, only a very fine line between a superiority and an inferiority. Should Koshimoto be overconfident and careless and should Lopez undauntedly keep going forward with busy hands, there might be a possibility of an unexpected happening as anything can happen in the ring.
It is presented by Fukuoka Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The main event will start at 3:27 pm tomorrow. It is one of the three world title bouts held in Japan between July 22 (Nobuo Nashiro amazingly dethroned Martin Castillo) and August 2 (sensational prospect Koki Kameda will square off against Venezuelan Juan Landaeta in a quest for the vacant WBA light flyweight belt in Tokyo).
(7-29-06)