On February 11, Treasure Boxing Promotions (TB), headed by former world champion Masayuki Ito, held a press conference in Daikanyama to announce its 12th show, scheduled for Friday, April 3, at Korakuen Hall. The main event features former WBO Minimumweight champion Masataka Taniguchi (Watanabe Gym) challenging Rene Santiago (Puerto Rico) for the unified WBA and WBO Light Flyweight / Junior Flyweight world titles.
Taniguchi (21-5, 15 KOs) is seeking to become a two-division world champion three years after losing his WBO Minimumweight title to Melvin Jerusalem. Since moving up to the 108-pound limit, Taniguchi suffered a narrow defeat in an IBF title eliminator against current champion Thanongsak Simsri, but rebounded in August last year by defeating Hyuga Inoue to claim the Japanese and OPBF titles.
“Even if it’s not a knockout, I just need to be better than Santiago for the 36 minutes of the fight,” Taniguchi stated confidently. “He is clever, knows how to navigate 12 rounds and pick up points. Looking at his fights with [Shokichi] Iwata and [Kyosuke] Takami, he might be the type of fighter Japanese boxers find most difficult to handle. However, looking at it objectively, I believe I am the only Japanese fighter currently capable of beating him.”
His trainer, Tadahiro Oguchi, noted that they are undergoing rigorous training to add more physical strength to Taniguchi’s technical base. Santiago enters the bout as a formidable champion, having previously defeated Teiken Gym’s Iwata and Takami to secure his titles.
Super Bantamweight 10-Rounder: Oguni vs. Tapales
The co-main event features a high-stakes 10-round clash between veteran former world champion Yukinori Oguni(Kadoebi-Jewel) and former unified champion Marlon Tapales (Philippines). Tapales, who remains highly ranked after his undisputed title fight against Naoya Inoue, represents a significant hurdle for Oguni’s ambitions of returning to world title contention.
“I’ve been training for a southpaw, so the condition is no problem,” Oguni said. Regarding the tactical matchup, he added with his signature dry wit: “I have the height advantage, but that’s the only thing I’m winning in. The key will be the distance; I want to see how far away I can fight. I certainly don’t want to trade punches.”
Treasure Boxing Promotions 11: Takesako and Sakai to Contest Vacant Japanese Middleweight Title
The press conference also confirmed the lineup for Treasure Boxing Promotions 11, set for March 12 at Korakuen Hall.
The main event will see former champion Kazuto Takesako (World Sports) face Mikio Sakai (Kadoebi-Jewel) for the vacant Japanese Middleweight title, recently relinquished by Riku Kunimoto. Takesako (18-3-1, 15 KOs) earned this opportunity by defeating Charlie Hosokawa in an eliminator. Sakai (6-5-1), meanwhile, looks to make it “third time lucky” after falling short in two previous title challenges against Kunimoto.
The undercard features two OPBF Female titles (Light Flyweight and Flyweight), along with 8-round bouts for Katsuya Fukui (Teiken) and Issei Ochiai (Ceres) against Filipino opposition.
