March 21, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
A world title tripleheader was announced by Watanabe Promotions on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Unbeaten WBA super-feather “super” champ Takashi Uchiyama (22-0-1, 18 KOs) will put his belt on the line against also undefeated OPBF ruler Jomthong Chuwatana (9-0, 4 KOs), also WBC Muay-thai 135-pound titlist of Thailand, in the main event at Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo on May 6. Also, newly crowned WBA light-fly champ Ryoichi Taguchi (21-2-1, 8 KOs) will make his initial defense against ex-WBA titleholder Kwanthai Sithmorseng (49-3-1, 26 KOs), a Thai veteran, over twelve rounds. The first title go will be competed by WBO female mini-flyweight titlist Kumiko Seeser Ikehara (6-1-2, 3 KOs) and OPBF flyweight ruler Kayoko Ebata (8-5, 4 KOs) over ten.
Uchiyama, 35, called “Knockout Dynamite” here, will make his tenth defense of his WBA belt since dethroning Juan Carlos Salgado by an impressive stoppage in the final session in 2010, and kept his throne for five years since. The most stable champion here will face a hard-punching southpaw Thailander who has been highly evaluated by our fight fans thanks to his three victories over as many Japanese opponents including former challenger to Uchiyama, Daiki Kaneko who lost a unanimous nod to the champ despite dropping him midway in the hard-fought contest in December of 2013. Jomthong, who had fought some 300 Muay-thai bouts, is a decade younger than Uchiyama, and may have the champ experience a tough contest.
Taguchi, a lanky speedster at 28, annexed the WBA 108-pound belt by dropping defending champ Alberto Rossel of Peru twice en route to an upset unanimous decision last December. His challenger Kwanthai previously held the WBA 105-pound diadem by winning over Thai compatriot Pigmy Kokietgym in 2010, but yielded it to Muhamad Rachman via ninth-round KO in Thailand in the next year. Kwanthai, 30, had an ambitious crack at the WBA light-fly belt against Hiroki Ioka in Japan only to be finished in seven furious rounds in September 2013. Taguchi will face the very tough veteran in his first defense.
WBO female champ Ikehara, 30, acquired the vacant belt by defeating Gretchen Abaniel on points last September, and will make her second defense against the 39-year-old challenger Ebata who will engage in her fourth attempt to win a world title.
In May, there will be many promotions with world championships on the line here in Japan.
(3-21-2015)