All the boxers taking part in the July 20 event ‘’Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 9’’ cleared official weigh-ins at a Tokyo hotel on July 19, except 12^th-ranked World Boxing Organization super flyweight Jonathan Rodriguez of Mexico who abandoned his challenge to champion Kosei Tanaka of Soul Box Hatanaka Boxing Gym as he could not make the weight limit.

  The 28-year-old Rodriguez tipped the scales at 55.0 kg (121 lbs), 2.9 kilograms above the super flyweight limit. Tanaka, 29, weighed in at the class limit of 52.1 kg.

  Though Rodriguez was given a two-hour grace time to reduce his weight, he gave up doing that, which deprived Tanaka of the opportunity to defend his title he captured in February.

  Rodriguez’s promoter Paco Damian of the United States said Rodriguez was seized with spasms of muscles throughout the body during his training on July 17.

  While he took water and recovered to some extent in the following day, his weight increased. Though he did practice on July 18, he did not sweat and engaged in exercise in the morning of the weigh-in (July 19), he could not make it.

  After failing to make the weight in the official weigh-in in the afternoon, Rodriguez began to run, which caused him cramp again, according to Damian. After that, the Tanaka side decided to give up his fight.

  Damian said he ran with Rodriguez and took a sauna bath with him, adding he has never experienced things like that. Since he badly wanted to have him fight with Tanaka, he did not have him seek medical care. Rodriguez is resting at his hotel right now, Damian added.

  In this connection, Tanaka’s manager Kiyoshi Hatanaka said, ‘’I don’t want to have him (Tanaka) fight with the boxer heavier than him by two weight classes. Also, I don’t want to set a bad precedent, ‘’ which led him to accept Rodirguez’s abandonment.

  The remaining four fights, highlighted by World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani of M.T Boxing Gym’s first defense of the title he won in February against top-ranked Vincent Astrolabio of the Philippines, will be held at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena as planned.

  Kickboxer-turned Tenshin Nasukawa of Teiken Boxing Gym will have a 10-round nontitle fight with the World Boxing Association’s fourth-ranked bantamweight Jonathan Rodriguez of the U.S. as the chief supporting card at the catchweight of 120 pounds.

  Second-ranked WBO flyweight Riku Kano of Taisei Boxing Gym will vie for the vacant WBO flyweight title with third-ranked Anthony Olascuaga of the U.S.

  Issei Aramoto of Teiken gym, who captured a total of as many as 12 amateur titles during his high school and university days, will make a six-round professional debut at middleweight against a Mongolian boxer. Aramoto has an amateur record of 85 wins, including 37 knockouts and referee stop contests, against seven losses.