Undefeated World Boxing Association light flyweight ‘’super’’ champion Hiroto Kyoguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym engaged in a regular training on May 31 (June 1 Japan time), the day after he entered Guadalajara, Mexico, for his fourth defense of the title against ‘regular’’ champion Esteban Bermudez of Mexico here on June 10 (11 Japan time).

The 28-year-old Kyoguchi had 13 rounds of training, which consisted of three rounds of sparring with a local partner, five rounds of hitting the mitt and as many rounds of hitting the drum mitt.

After the training, Kyoguchi said, ‘’I was able to move well without feeling any atmospheric pressure and insufficient oxygen.’’

Kyoguchi was initially supposed to fight in Mexico City, which has an altitude of 2,240 meters. But the fighting site was changed to Guadalajara a little more than 10 days ago. Up until the change, Kyoguchi had been earnestly engaged in low-oxygen training to get used to the fight at high altitude.
While Guadalajara has a height of some 1, 500 meters above sea level, which is much less than the altitude of Mexico City but is still higher than Tokyo’s only about 35 meters.

Kyoguchi, a former International Boxing Federation minimumweight champion, won the WBA light flyweight title from Hekkie Budler of South Africa with a technical knockout in Macao on Dec. 31 of 2018.

The upcoming fight will be Kyoguchi’s second title defense overseas following his fifth-round TKO over Bermudez’s compatriot Axel Aragon Vega in March last year in Dallas, Texas. Kyoguchi has a record of 15 straight wins, including 10 KOs.

Bermudez, 26, won the title by stopping Carlos Canizales of Venezuela in May last year. He has a 14-3-2 win-loss-draw tally with 10 KOs.
Photo by Watanabe Boxing Gym