中央坪井をはさんで浜田剛史代表㊨、田中トレーナー　photo/Naoki Fukuda

In the WBC World Super-Flyweight Title bout, Tsuboi—an amateur world championship gold medalist—will make his first bid for a world title in his fifth professional fight. Tsuboi himself showed no interest in setting the record for the fastest title win in Japan (in his fifth fight), stating, “I believe that if I win this fight and claim the belt, I’ll be able to face even stronger opponents,” thereby reemphasizing his stance since turning pro: “to fight strong opponents.”
Malajika is a right-handed boxer (who also switches stances) with a record of 17 wins (12 KOs) and 2 losses, and holds the IBO title from a minor organization. While Tsuboi described Malajika as “a solid, serious boxer,” he made no secret of his confidence, stating, “He may have more professional experience, but in terms of boxing experience, I’m dozens of times his equal.”
“He’s probably never fought a boxer like me, so there are plenty of ways to break him down,” said Tsuboi. Trainer Sen’ta Tanaka also praised him highly, saying, “His boxing IQ is outstanding. He exchanges blows with his opponent and reads them immediately.” Hearing this, it really does seem as though Tsuboi might actually manage to “dominate every round” in his first world title bout.
His first child was born in July, which he says has given him an even greater sense of responsibility. “My job is to come back with an overwhelming victory,” said Tsuboi, now a dad. Also on the same day, regarding his teammate Tenshin Nasukawa, who is vowing to avenge his loss to Takuma Inoue, Tsuboi pledged, “He’s truly approaching boxing with sincerity. I’ll win my own fight decisively and then pass the baton firmly to Tenshin Nasukawa.”

クラークとのスパーリングを公開した但馬㊨

Tajima, who had fought in the heavyweight division at a maximum weight of 127 kg, began conditioning for the cruiserweight division (90.7 kg) in May. He made running—which he hadn’t prioritized much in the past—the centerpiece of his training, rigorously strengthening his lower body through morning roadwork and stair sprints. He also logged 80 rounds of sparring during this period, and Tajima commented on the effectiveness of his training, saying, “Unlike in my heavyweight days, I think I’m developing the stamina to hold my ground well into the middle rounds and beyond.”
His sparring partner that day was Lewis Clark (23), the Western Australia heavyweight champion from Australia. Facing this young prospect—who boasts a record of 10 wins (4 KOs) and 2 losses and fights with a lot of vocal intensity—Tajima immediately responded to advice from former two-division world champion Kazuki Kameda, who told him, “Vary your jabs up and down. Attack the body more.” He continued to press the attack throughout the bout, landing body hooks and other shots without losing his breath even in the later rounds, demonstrating that he is in excellent form.

クラークに右ストレートを決める但馬㊨

“Rather than losing muscle, I’ve lost fat, so my punches have become sharper and faster. Until now, I’ve been able to fight comfortably even when taking jabs, but now I’m focusing more on my defense. I see this fight as a stepping stone to the world title, and I want to give it my all and show the difference in our abilities.” The new Tajima expressed his determination.
Tajima’s record stands at 13 wins (11 KOs) and 2 losses, while champion Muftah’s record is 11 wins (7 KOs) and 6 losses.

While the announcement was made anticipation of current WBA regular champion Rodriguez’s next move, the situation is expected to be clarified prior to the Masuda-Higa contest. Teiken Promotions issued a document titled “Regarding the Background of the WBA Regular Championship Deciding Match between Riku Masuda and Daigo Higa” to explain the shifting status of the title. The promotional firm sought understanding for the announcement amidst the uncertainty, stating: “The WBA bantamweight title situation remains complicated due to unforeseen accidents, repeated injuries, and the involvement of Rodriguez, who possesses elite global drawing power. However, we anticipate that Rodriguez’s plans will be finalized before the 20 July fight date, allowing the title match to proceed under normalized conditions.”

増田㊧と比嘉の対決

The matchup itself between Masuda and Higa remains a highly compelling contest worthy of a world title stake. Sharing his assessment of his opponent, Masuda remarked that Higa appears optimistic on the surface but is a highly meticulous fighter, a factor he intends to account for in his preparation. Masuda enters the bout buoyed by the confidence of his decisive victory over Donaire in his previous outing. A victory would naturally set up a rematch with Tsutsumi, who currently holds the champion-in-recess status—a prospect that provides added incentive for Masuda, who previously suffered a defeat against Tsutsumi.

This bout marks Higa’s first return to the ring since his challenge against Vargas last year. It represents his fourth consecutive attempt at a bantamweight world title, following contests against Yoshiki Takei (Ohashi), Seiya Tsutsumi (Kadoebi Jewel), and Vargas. Although draws and narrow defeats have prevented him from capturing a belt, his competitive performances have maintained his standing as an elite fighter. “I realized that boxing is my true calling after all, so I have returned. My apologies,” said Higa, who had initially intended to retire after the Vargas fight before reconsidering earlier this year. “Moving forward, I want to continue competing for as long as I am able to,” he declared.

Analyzing Masuda, Higa noted, “Everyone is aware of his left straight, which demands caution. He also utilizes his right lead effectively to set traps.” He added, “I believe it will be an entertaining fight on the night.”

Advance ticket sales for “U-NEXT BOXING 6” commenced today at 18:00 via Lawson Ticket. Ticket tiers are priced at 55,000 yen, 33,000 yen, 44,000 yen (two-person ringside box), 22,000 yen, and 11,000 yen.

4度目の来日戦となるラバー

Llover, a 17-0 (12 KOs) southpaw, is a former OPBF champion marketed as “the next Pacquiao” and has climbed to No. 3 in the IBF rankings. His opponent, Angeletti, is 14-0 (8 KOs); an orthodox fighter, he boasts a 183cm reach (173cm tall) and is ranked No. 5 by the IBF.

Additionally, a 6-round featherweight bout between Shiki Kawamura (MR) and Bayaman Azizbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) will take place.

The event will also feature the IBF flyweight title bout between Masamichi Yabuki (Midori) and Rene Calixto (Mexico), the IBF super-flyweight title bout between Wilibaldo Garcia (Mexico) and Andrew Moloney (Australia), and the 10-round fight between Luis Nery (Mexico) and John Riel Casimero (Philippines).

試合前会見に出席した出場選手たち　photo/Naoki Fukuda

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman also attended the press conference, stating, “Bouts between Japan and Mexico have long been guaranteed to be spectacular matches.” Every fight on this card features a clash between athletes from both countries. President Sulaiman further clarified that the winner of Estrada vs. Nasukawa will become the mandatory challenger for the winner of the May 2 title match between champion Takuma Inoue (Ohashi) and challenger Kazuto Ioka (Shisei).

On this day, Nasukawa once again described the days since his fight against Takuma, saying, “I have challenged myself in order to change.” Regarding fight predictions for the Estrada bout, he declared, “To hell with all that—I’m sticking my tongue out at it. I will definitely win.” He added, “I don’t want to lose to myself anymore. I’ve steeled myself.”

Estrada also repeatedly declared his intent to win. Stating that he must win this fight to achieve his goal of becoming a three-division champion, he said, “This is a test for me as well. I will certainly win.”

Tsuboi revealed he is “excited” for the fight against Guevara, stating, “While maintaining a sense of respect, I want to dominantly control the match on that day.” It remains to be seen if he will completely dominate a former world champion following his victory over Cuadras. Guevara, a former two-division champion returning to Japan for the first time in a while, said, “[Tsuboi] has beaten Cuadras, so I know he is a very strong fighter.”

Both Takami and Ayala are returning to the ring for the first time since losing their world titles. For Takami, this is also his first fight moving up in weight, and he stated, “I want to fight a match that is typical of Ryosuke Takami. Ending it with a knockout is best, but I’ve trained to ensure I can clearly surpass him technically regardless of how the fight unfolds.” Meanwhile, Ayala voiced his fighting spirit for his comeback, saying, “I want to put on a good fight, but more than anything, I have a strong desire never to lose again.”

Akitsugi, who has won 14 consecutive fights (4 KOs) since debuting in the US, opened with a fresh remark for his first match in Japan: “I’m not used to this kind of press conference, so I’m nervous.” However, he showed plenty of ambition, adding, “Since it’s my first time in a Japanese ring, I don’t just want to win; I want to leave a strong impression.” It will be interesting to see what kind of match he has against Calderon, who recently lost to Riku Masuda (Teiken) via technical decision.