The pre-fight press conference for “U-NEXT BOXING 6,” scheduled for 20 July at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, was held at a Tokyo hotel on 18 July, with the fighters competing in the triple world title event expressing confidence and sharing their goals for the upcoming bouts.
トリプル戦に出場する選手。左から寺地、ゴンサレス、増田、比嘉、岩田、バディージョ
In the main event, a clash for the vacant WBA bantamweight title, number 1-ranked Riku Masuda (Teiken) faces number 2-ranked Daigo Higa (Shisei). Tsuyoshi Hamada, representative of Teiken Gym, offered his assessment of the matchup: “Masuda possesses the superior single-punch power, while Higa excels in high-volume combinations. On the night, the fighter who can execute beyond their baseline will likely emerge victorious.” In response, Higa’s trainer, Joji Nogi, referenced the legendary first encounter between Hamada and Rene Arredondo, stating, “I want to replicate the exact manner in which his Okinawa senior, Tsuyoshi Hamada, captured the world title.” In that WBC junior-welterweight title bout exactly 40 years ago, Hamada claimed the championship via a devastating first-round knockout. While that historic contest concluded swiftly, Trainer Nogi emphasized that his primary focus was the level of “determination” required for this upcoming bout. The exchange further heightened anticipation for the collision between Masuda and Higa, two hard-hitters with contrasting offensive styles.
Challenging for a world title in a third weight class in the vacant WBO super-flyweight championship bout, Kenshiro Teraji (BMB) expressed confidence regarding his move up in weight, noting, “My sharpness has increased, and my confidence has grown along with it.” His opponent, Israel Gonzalez (Mexico), wore sunglasses throughout the proceedings, masking his expressions. However, the Mexican challenger remained composed, stating, “I have no specific impressions to offer regarding Teraji, but I will execute exactly what I need to do.”
Defending his WBC light-flyweight world title for the first time, champion Shokichi Iwata (Teiken) received high praise from his trainer, Sendai Tanaka, who testified to the champion’s progression: “He has maintained excellent condition since capturing the world title. Depending on how the opponent approaches the fight, I believe he will deliver a performance that will surprise everyone.” The challenger, Erik Badillo (Mexico), reiterated the significance of the opportunity, describing it as “a life-defining chance,” and boasted of the supreme conditioning developed during his high-altitude training camp in Mexico, claiming his stamina was at a level where it felt as though he possessed “four lungs.”
