Kazuto Ioka: top 15 all time south of bantamweight already?

If you don't follow the modern fly range, you've missed out seeing the rise of a wondrous technician.

• Amateur record: 95-10, 64 by KO/RSC (that's crazy high, if you don't follow amateur boxing, especially considering he fought in the headgear era, before it was banned in men's senior open-class)
• Pro record: 24-2 (14) as of this morning, when he claimed a world title in his fourth weight class.

He is 15-2 with ten knockouts in world championship bouts, and hardly any of those were creampuff opponents (a few have continued to contend for several years since he fought them; victories over the likes of Akira Yaegashi and Félix Alvarado in particular aging like fine wine). Yes, seventeen of his twenty-six professional bouts have been for world titles...just shy of ⅔ of his career. Both of his losses were via SD, and both against complete & utter pains in the ass (unbeaten Thai stylist Amnat Ruenroeng, and Pinoy future HOF lock Donnie Nietes).

IMO he's on the bubble...

Finito López
Rosendo Álvarez
Ivan Calderón
Jorge Arce
Jung Koo Chang
Myung Woo Yuh
Michael Carbajal
Little Dado
Jimmy Wilde
Santos Laciar
Chocolatito González
Johnny Tapia
Sung Kil Moon
Khaosai Galaxy
Gerry Peñalosa


...and that's, of course, still leaving plenty of greats on the table, but IMO he has clearly surpassed all but the above.

 

Any glaring omissions you see on my (admittedly hastily cobbled together) list that you think definitely merit a spot ahead of Kazuto?

 

Estrada vs. Ioka would be a dream, h2h currently I'd tip it about 50-50 but that's with El Gallo being in his prime and Kazuto a bit past his own (despite being only a year older and debuting around the same time...Ioka has walked a tougher road and been in more wars, even with a nod to JFE having seen his share). In terms of résumé I'd say Estrada has the biggest single notch in his belt (Wangek II) yet Ioka's body of work dwarfs his. I mean, twice as many world title bouts (and only the pair of tight losses) - 15-2 versus 7-2...

 

Ioka vs. Palicte:

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His domestic clash with Yaegashi was a FOTY candidate in 2012. His performances versus Gemelo Alvarado, Reveco I & II, Arroyo, Navarrette and Torito Rodríguez were all master classes against serious contenders.

Most of his victories over Thais are, while dominant, not particularly meaningful - most boxers from that country in modern times have ridiculously inflated records. Stamp, Wissanu, Kwanthai & Noknoi all look pretty on paper but none had ever beaten anybody worth a damn. Oleydong Sithsamerchai (aka Kittipong Jaigrajang) is the noteworthy exception (along with, obviously, Ruenroeng who beat Ioka), he was actually world class, and was a huge leap up for Ioka, who really had no business in a world title bout at 6-0 graduating directly from a vacant Japanese title grab.

 

Big fan of Too Sharp, but can't agree there.

Raging Bull was KTFO in his prime, and would be stylistically tailor-made for Ioka h2h.

Flash hasn't fought south of bantam in nearly a decade - you sure you're limiting yourself to his work before moving up in that assessment?