Two Mexican boxers arrived in Japan on Nov. 19 to serve as sparring partners for World Boxing Councial and World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘’the Monster’’ Inoue of Ohashi Boxing Gym for Inoue’s title unification fight with World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales of the Philippines on Dec. 26 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

  The 21-year-old Jose Salas Reyes and the 26-year-old Cristian Cruz will replace a pair of Mexican southpaws, Erik Robles and Jose Angel Garcia, who served as sparring partners for Inoue until around the middle of this month.

  The undefeated Reyes is a super bantamweight boxer, who has a record of 14 wins, including 10 knockouts, while Cruz is a featherweight boxer and is a son of former IBF featherweight champion Cristobal Cruz. He is said to be good at switching his fighting style from orthodox to southpaw and vice versa. PHOTO by Ohashi Boxing Gym