World Boxing Association bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue of Ohashi Boxing Gym expressed his confidence at a joint press conference in Tokyo on Sept.27 before his first title defense against sixth-ranked Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines on Nov. 15, saying, ‘’ The fight will only serve as a waypoint for my aim of unifying the division’s titles.’’

The 27-year-old Inoue’s fight will be the main event of Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 6 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena, in which top-ranked WBA flyweight Seigo ‘’Yuri’ Akui of Kurashiki Moriyasu Boxing Gym will challenge champion Artem Dalakian of Ukraine for the latter’s title as the chief supporting card.

Inoue told the press conference ‘’My opponent in the upcoming fight will probably be the strongest compared with my previous opponents. I will have to cope with his offense. But I cannot become stronger unless I fight with a strong boxer (Ancajas).’’

  Asked about his comments on Ancajas being left-handed just like Nordine Oubaali of France, to whom Inoue lost the World Boxing Council bantamweight title in November 2019, Inoue replied, ‘’Unlike before, I don’t feel any difficulty. I can now move freely and don’t have an aversion to a southpaw opponent at present. Ideally-speaking, I want to finish the fight with a counter punch.’’

  He aims at emulating what his elder brother Naoya ‘’the Monster’’ Inoue did at bantamweight (unifying all the titles). Ancajas, 31, was a former International Boxing Federation super flyweight kingpin as he retained the title nine times until he lost it in February last year. After failing to recapture the title, Ancajas moved up to bantamweight and won a nontitle bout in this past June. 

  Inoue added the upcoming fight will only serve as a pass point for his dream of unifying the division’s titles of the four major sanctioning bodies.

Inoue, who won the vacant title in April by decisioning Liborio Solis of Venezuela, has a record of 18 wins, including four knockouts, against a loss. Ancajas has a 34-3-2 win-loss-draw tally with 23 KOs.