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Is Kazuto Ioka Being Held to a Totally different Commonplace By the WBO?
On June 1, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) ordered that the present WBO World Tremendous Flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka’s (26-2, 15 KOs) subsequent struggle have to be in opposition to their necessary challenger, Francisco Rodriguez Jr (33-4-1, 24 KOs). Each events have obtained a 30-day window to barter a struggle. Failure to take action will end result within the match going to a handbag bid.
Ioka’s final two outings in opposition to Jeyvier Cintron in December 2019 and Kosei Tanaka in December 2020 had been necessary title defenses. A struggle in opposition to Rodriguez Jr represents three necessary defenses in a row. So, that makes this ruling by the WBO fairly odd.
It’s not that Rodriguez is a horrible fighter or an undeserving challenger. Since consecutive losses to then WBO Mild Flyweight champion Donnie Nietes and Moises Fuentes in 2015, he has gone on to win his final fifteen fights. In fact, Ioka v Rodriguez Jr can be a superb struggle.
WHERE’S THE CONSISTENCY?
Nevertheless, why would the WBO power the champ to have interaction in so many necessary defenses in a row? You haven’t seen this stage of insistence with the WBO and their champions in some other divisions. Historically, sanctioning organizations enable their champions at the least one voluntary protection earlier than ordering stated fighter to face a compulsory challenger inside a calendar 12 months. One would suppose the identical customary would apply to Ioka.
The Japanese celebrity was 3KingsBoxing’s 2021 Fighter To Watch. He has eyes on a unification bout this 12 months. An ideal struggle for him can be a showdown with IBF World 115-pound world champ Jerwin Ancajas. It might have occurred if he had been allowed an optionally available title protection.
That attainable struggle now must be kicked down the street. General, it is a disappointing determination. Questions needs to be raised about how they function, significantly on the subject of Kazuto Ioka.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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