August 20, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
We will see a very competitive confrontation of world-rated contenders tonight (Thursday) in Tokyo, Japan, as unbeaten WBC#10/WBA#11/IBF#8/WBO#11 Ryo Matsumoto (14-0, 12 KOs) will square off against current NABF bantam ruler, WBC#10 Luis May (17-8-1, 7 KOs), from Mexico, over an eight-round competition beneath a national feather title bout. Matsumoto, 21, is a tall hard-puncher who once took the national high school championship prior to his entry into the paid ranks. Since his pro debut under Ohashi Promotions, the explosive thin man registered seven knockouts in a row and acquired the OPBF super-fly belt by dispatching the world-rated Thailander Rusalee Samor in the twelfth and final session last December. He renounced the regional belt to pave the way for his club-mate Takuma Inoue, who gained it by beating Filipino lefty Mark Anthony Gerald this July. Matsumoto, a lanky aggressive puncher, loves swapping punches toe-to-toe with his opposition, and defeated former world challenger Hiroyuki Hisataka on points in his tenth pro bout in April of the previous year. The youngster then quickly demolished ex-world titlist Denkaosen Kaovichit last September. He is going to be a bright prospect.
The Mexican Luis May, 31, recently captured the NABF 118-pound belt by scoring a decision over Oscar Moran in Campeche, Mexico, this June. May once came to Japan, losing a unanimous but hard-fought decision to puzzling southpaw Jun Kubo in Kobe city last December, but this time he will face an orthodox rival in Matsumoto. May confidently says, “I will lick him for the first time in his career.” We will watch this interesting bout tonight.
(8-20-2015)