May 3, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
Sensational WBA 130-pound champ Edwin Valero (21-0, 21 KOs including 19 first round knockouts), a Japan-based Venezuelan under the promotional agreement with Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions, will put his belt against WBA#2 ranked ex-OPBF titlist Nobuhito Honmo (29-4-2, 5 KOs) today (Thursday) in Tokyo, Japan. Valero, 25, is a devastating southpaw puncher with high precision, having captured the belt from Vicente Mosquera via tenth round stoppage in Panama in August of the previous year. Having been living in Japan since thereafter, Valero successfully registered his initial defense by annihilating Mexican Michael Lozada in the first session this January.
Valero, living with his family near the Teiken Gym in Tokyo, has kept his diligent and strenuous training there with trainers Jorge Selpa and Sendai Tanaka, and showed his stamina and resilience in having sparring sessions in twelve rounds a day. The Venezuelan lefty calls his power-punching Kaminari (thunder in Japanese), which may be proven again before great many spectators today.
Honmo, a quick-fisted and fast-footed sharpshooter, kept his national 130-pound belt eight times before he acquired the vacant OPBF throne by outmaneuvering hard-hitting Filipino Jimrex Jaca last year. Honmo, 30, has been unbeaten in 17 latest games since 2000. He isnft a hard-hitter at all, but a smart footworker with sharp jabs and quick combinations.
Problem for Honmo is whether he will be able to avert Valerofs Kaminari attack especially in early rounds, since Valero is an awesome early starter. The Japanese speedster boasts of his tight defense and good footwork, with which he wishes to see Valero punching out and attack him in later rounds. But many experts predict Valerofs quick demolition even in the opening session though Honmo is the WBA mandatory challenger.
Akihiko Honda, Valerofs promoter, said, gEdwin will campaign in the US after this second defense. After showing his power in his WBA title defense against some name challenger there, he may meet WBC champ Juan Manuel Marquez in a unification bout. Valerofs ultimate goal, however, may be his highly anticipated encounter with sensational superstar Manny Pacquiao in the near future. Valero is very much willing to invade the US to face such international well-known rivals in his division. He also hopes to move up to the 135-pound category and acquire his second belt next year.
WBC bantam champ Hozumi Hasegawa (21-2, 7 KOs), making his fourth defense, will face unbeaten South African challenger Simphiwe Vetyeka (16-0, 9 KOs) over twelve rounds in the main event. Hasegawa, 26, wrested the WBC 118-pound throne by upsetting veteran Thailander Veeraphol Nakhornluang-Promotion by a hard-fought unanimous decision in April 2005. Since then, the Japanese lefty kept his belt three times by defeating Geraldo Martinez (TKO7), ex-champ Veeraphol (TKO9) and official challenger Genaro Garcia (W12 by dropping the Mexican twice) to his credit.
People may wonder why Hasegawa selected such an unbeaten and fast-rising challenger as Vetyeka with superior height and reach. It might be due to Hasegawafs confidence to be eager to show his strength and improvement against a strong opponent. Vetyeka, 26, retained his South African bantam belt on five occasions to move up to No.4 in the WBC ratings. Handled by veteran trainer Nick Durandt, Vetyeka is said to have improved immensely in terms of power and skills. Nick becomes so popular among Japanese press people with his big talk such as saying, gVetyeka can fight 24 rounds on Thursday. After winning the world title from Hasegawa, we may fight another 12 rounds against some Japanese challenger in his first defense on the same night, if the promoter Mr. Honda wishes.h Just hearing his eloquent speech, we may misunderstand Nick is handling a Mike Tyson at his prime.
Hasegawa has lately shown his improvement in power and technique in every fight. He said at the press conference, gIfd like to show a knockout victory before the crowd. Ifll attack him from the outset.h Hasegawa also wishes to fight in the US in the near future.
Nobuo Nashiro (9-0, 5 KOs), 25, will risk his WBA 115-pound belt against hard-punching ex-champ Alexander Munoz (29-2, 25 KOs) in his mandatory defense. Nashiro shocked the world when he captured the WBA 115-pound belt by stopping highly regarded Martin Castillo in the tenth round in July of the previous year. He tied the Japanese record to acquire the world throne just in his eighth pro bout (previously held only by ex-WBC bantam kingpin Joichiro Tatsuyoshi). Prior to his coronation Nashiro had defeated such three world-rated opponents as Hidenobu Honda, Seiji Tanaka and Prosper Matsuura in a WBA eliminator to decide the mandatory challenger in a row.
Nashiro, a short but sturdy puncher, kept his belt by unanimously outscoring Mexican Eduardo Garcia last December. Nashiro relies on his tight defense and great stamina. The university graduate with his amateur career loves to swap punches toe-to-toe and keep stalking his opponent.
Munoz, 28, captured the WBA belt here in Japan, where he dispatched Japanese defending champ Celes Kobayashi to display his devastating power in an eighth-round demolition in 2002. The Venezuelan kept it three times by defeating Japanese challengers, Hidenobu Honmo (W12) and Eiji Kojima (KO2 and TKO10) prior to his forfeiture of the belt to Martin Castillo in Texas in December 2004.
Munoz once had a hard luck, having suffered a bullet to the knee in crime-studded Venezuela. Since then, the Venezuelan isnft what he used to be. However, he can still punch. In his rematch with Castillo with the WBA belt at stake Munoz floored the defending champ in the first round only to lose a controversial decision in January of the previous year.
For the less-experienced Nashiro, Munoz must be a very dangerous challenger. Munoz said, gIfll knock out Nashiro to bring back the belt to Venezuela.h Nashiro is a modest youngster who seldom does a big talk, but seems confident to defend his belt by mixing it up with the hard-hitting ex-champ.
The promoter Honda says, gThis is a very best show I can present in Japan at this moment. All the title bouts will be so interesting and competitive that they will certainly entertain the spectators.h We greatly look forward to seeing the action-packed world tripleheader tonight.
(5-3-07)