September 17, 2006
TOKYO, JAPAN
Ex-WBC champ Katsushige Kawashima (30-4, 20 KOs), Japan, will face Mexican southpaw Christian Mijares (27-3-2, 10 KOs) in a quest for the WBC interim superfly belt tomorrow (Monday) in Yokohama, Japan.
Each tipped the beam at the 115-pound class limit at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, this afternoon. The WBC officials are as follows: referee Frank Garza (US); judges James JenKin, Burt Clements and David Harris (all US); and supervisor Major Lee Wonbok (Korea).
The interim championship is a notorious but sometimes inevitable thing in the boxing world. It produces a couple of champs in the same organization, but helps satisfy impatient leading contenders without waiting for an inactive full champ any longer. The WBC full 115-pound champ is Masamori Tokuyama of Japan, who had registered eight defenses prior to his upset forfeiture to Kawashima, regained the belt from his conqueror and defeated top ranked Jose Navarro by a very unanimous decision last February. Tokuyama asked the WBC for an extension for his voluntary defense since due to an injury after a traffic accident. It is rumored that the champ has lost his motivation to fight on, though he himself hasnft clearly disclosed his mind to the general public.
The WBC therefore sanctioned an interim title bout between former champ Kawashima and #4 ranked Mijares with the winner and interim ruler to face the victor of top ranked Jorge Arce and Hawk Makepla on September 23. It must be a good plot to solve this muddy situation. Tokuyama will be obliged to face the ultimate interim champ, or make up his mind to hang up gloves for good.
After Kawashima yielded his WBC belt to his grudge rival Tokuyama in their rubber battle in July of the previous year, he scored a couple of stoppages over Thai champ Phetchklongphai Soh Dharnthip (KO5) and Korean Jaechun Moon (TKO8) to his credit. Kawashima is a gallant give-and-take warrior who can punch and take punch with abundant stamina. Mijares, seven years his junior at 24, is a light-punching but fast-moving southpaw handled by his uncle Vicente Saldivar Mijares (who had an unsuccessful crack at the WBA lightweight belt against Esteban DeJesus via eleventh round TKO in 1977). Mijares is unbeaten in last 17 bouts since his last defeat by Jose Tirado on points in 2002. The young Mexican is a lanky shifty footworker who makes good use of his southpaw jabs and hooks. He might be an elusive target for Kawashima, physically stronger and more powerful, who will try to mix it up and swap punches in the close range.
Mijares, under the promotional agreement of Ignacio Nacho Huizar, arrived here on September 9 to stay nine nights prior to the elimination bout and seemed to have already got acclimated with the jet lag and the climate. It will become such a fight as a southpaw matador and a gallant bull. Kawashima is favored to win due to his superior experience of having fought more times in world title goes, but the youth and speed of Mijares will not be ignored.
On the undercard there are two OPBF title bouts. The OPBF 105-pound champ Akira Yaegashi, an unbeaten prospect and stablemate of Kawashima, will defend his regional belt against Liempetch Thanyon from Thailand. The newly crowned OPBF welter boss Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Japan, will face compatriot Taisei Marumoto with his title at stake over twelve.
This show is presented by Ohashi Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
(9-17-06)