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Ioka and Yaegashi Make Weight, Prepare For a War
By Hisao Adachi
The weights are in for tomorrow's history making event in Japan. The first ever title unification in Japan, with the WBC and WBA strawweight champions facing off at the Bodymaker Colosseum (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium former) in the city of Osaka. Undefeated WBC world champion Kazuto Ioka (9-0, 6KOs, 23 years old and Ioka Boxing Gym Osaka) will collide with the world champion of the WBA, Akira Yaegashi (15-2/8KOs of 29 years age and Ohashi Boxing Gym in the city of Yokohama).
This duel has captured the attention of the Japanese public, since it is the first time in boxing history that two Japanese fighters, who are champions under different sanctioning organizations, are going to have a unification fight in the same weight division.
Ioka and Yaegashi easily made weight. The WBC champion came in at 47.6 kilograms [104.9-pounds], just under the weight limit. And the king of the WBA came in at 47.5 kilograms [104.7-pounds]. More than 250 fans were present at the weigh-in.
Both boxers were examined by a doctor and no problems were detected for either fighter.
The referee of this fight will be the Japan's Yuji Fukuchi. The three judges will be Japan's Toshio Sugiyama, America's Carlos Sucre, and Thailand's Anek Hongtongkam.
Both fighters will wear Winning gloves, a popular Japanese brand.
The fight will be fought under the open scoring system of WBC. The WBA's regulations are also in affect, in particular if a boxer is dropped three times in the same round the fight will end with an automatic TKO. One judge is from the WBC, while the other two judges are from the WBA.
Mr. Ken Morita, the general secretary of the Japanese Boxing Commission, confesses that the winner of this unification bout will be forced to abandon one of the two titles within ten days after the bout, under the terms of a pre-fight agreement.
