NAGOYA--The WBA super flyweight champ SATOSHI IIDA(right photo) was scheduled to put
his title on the line against #7 ranked compatriot Takato "Puma" Toguchi
in Nagoya, Japan, on Dec. 23.
Oct. 20
NAGOYA--The WBA super flyweight champ SATOSHI IIDA(right photo) was scheduled to put
his title on the line against #7 ranked compatriot Takato "Puma" Toguchi
in Nagoya, Japan, on Dec. 23.
But a CT scanner found Toguchi's brain damage and he proved unavailable to be obliged to hang up gloves for good on Oct. 15.
Urgently Toshiro Matsuo, promoter/manager of Iida, looked for a substitute, and finally decided to book ex-WBA fly champ JESUS "KIKI" ROJAS, 34, Venezuela. It was publicly announced yesterday (Oct. 19).
Rojas won the WBA 112-pound title by beating Colombian Fidel Bassa on points in 1989, but lost it to Korean Yulwoo Lee on a decision in 1990.
Rojas previously fought in Japan 4 times and remained unbeaten here. He halted Yasutaka Sakurai in 8 in 1988, drew with defending champ Leopard Takakuma in a bid for the WBA fly throne in 1990, stopped Toguchi in 9 in 1993, and demolished upcoming propsect Takashi Ohba in 7 in 1995.
Rojas lately acquired the Fedelatin super fly title by stopping a hard-hitting Panamanian Evangelio Perez in 7 in Caracas on Oct. 3.
Iida, 5 years his junior and 25-1-1, 11 KOs, will face a tougher
opponent in Rojas than Toguchi.
(10-20-98)