Onesongchai Boxing: News From Japan

On June 18, in Tokyo, it was categorically confirmed that there will be two female boxing world championships on the same stage and on the same day, precisely on August 11, at Korakuen Hall of Tokyo, the mecca of Japanese Boxing since 1962, with capacity for over two thousand spectators.

This is the first championship of this sort in Japan sanctioned by the Japanese Boxing Commission (JBC), the organization that ended up approving female boxing recently in 2008. Last May 9, at Korakuen Hall, the historical first female boxing card was held, sanctioned by the JBC, with Fujin Raika defeating American fighter Natalie Brown by majority decision, 58-56, 58-57 and 58-58 in the six round main event.

It is worth noting that Fujin Raika was presented by the JBC as a beginner in boxing, as her record was from Japan Women´s Boxing Commission, the organization that was then dissolved in a constructive way when the JBC decided to give recognition to female boxing.

On August 11, at Korakuen Hall Of Tokyo, Japanese fighter, world ranked WBC # 2, WBA # 1, in the lightweight division, Fujin Raika,18-3-1 (6), will fight for the vacant WBC lightweigh t title against American fighter, world ranked WBC # 3, Ann Marie Saccurato, 13-3-2 (6), from New York and former WBC Lightweight world champion in the co-main event of the evening.

This is the second fight between Saccurato and Raika, who won the first bout by majority decision to keep her WIBA Lightweight world title in November 2007 in Tokyo.

Now, Fujin Raika, who without a doubt, is charisma herself of Japanese female boxing, is on the island of Hokkaido, over a thousand kilometers north of Tokyo, for her running camp, together with WBC Flyweight world champion, Daisuke Naito, 32-2-3 (20), who will defend his title for the third time against Japanese champion Tomonobu Shimizu, 13-2 (5), on July 30, in Tokyo.

In another main event, for the WBC Atomweight world championship, Japanese fighter, Momo Koseki, 5-2 (1), will rematch Thailand’s WBC Atomweight world champion, Winyu Paradorn Gym, 6-1-1 (1), who became world champion by conquering the then vacant title in August 2007, defeating Koseki herself, by unanimous decision 96-94, 96-95 and 96-94, in Ayuttaya, Thailand.

Koseki is 20 very determined to take advantage of her second opportunity at world level, this time in her home country of Japan.

On June 17, WBA Flyweight world champion, Takefumi Sakata from Japan, 32-4-2 (15), left for Honolulu, Hawaii, in order to carry out her customary running camp in the land of constant summer, looking to defend her title for the fourth time against Japanese fighter Hiroyuki Hisataka from Osaka, 16-6-1 (5). Sakata has intended to run a total of 250 kilometers during her eleven-day stay in Honolulu, Hawaii.

That fight takes place on July 30, at Yoyogi Gym of Tokyo, where the other Flyw eight world champion, Daisuke Naito from Japan, 32-2-3 (20), will fight his Japanese challenger Tomonobu Shimizu, 13-2 (5), defending his WBC Flyweight world title for the third time.

Sakata seized the WBA Flyweight world title in March 2007in his fourth attempt to win a world title, defeating Lorenzo Parra from Venezuela by TKO in the third round at Korakuen Hall of Tokyo.

Sakata has defended his title three times: against Roberto Vasquez from Panama by unanimous decision, Denkaosan Kaovichit from Thailand in a twelve-round draw, and Shingo Yamaguchi from Japan by unanimous decision.

Brand-new WBA Lightweight champion Yusuke Kobori, 23-2-1 (12), visited the City Hall office of Yotsukaido, in the province of Chiba, Kobori´s homeland.

Mayor of Yotsukaido, Mr. Takahashi, promised Kobori that he will be given an award as an “Honor Citizen”. It will be the first time in history in the city of Yotsukaido that a local man will be the object of such a significant award.

On May 19, in Tokyo, Yusuke Kobori defeated Jose Alfaro from Nicaragua against all odds, by TKO in the third round to win the WBA Lightweight world title.

Yusuke Kobori is the 57th Japanese world champion in history since Yoshio Shiraiworld won the world flyweight title back in 1952 according to data from the Japanese Boxing Commission.