Kyotaro Fujimoto vs. Nobuhiro Ishida II

Finally!!! :happy

Exactly one year later, after it seemed like it would never happen (http://www.boxingforum24.com/showthread.php?t=511422), it finally will.

Bizarrely, since their last encounter, they have fought the exact same two opponents, in reverse order, with the same results. Kyotaro defended his Japanese heavyweight title for the second time against Kotatsu Takehara and stopped him in that rematch, then outpointed David Radeff in an 8-rounder. Ishida, after his loss to Kyotaro last April, outpointed David Radeff in an 8-rounder...and then stopped Kotatsu Takehara. :blood

Anyway, the important thing is they have made their way back to each other. Great news for all. Nobody wants to see Ishida do anything but contend for the national belt, and nobody cares to see Kyotaro defend it against non-Japanese boxers (like Peter Okhello from Uganda, who randomly fought Kyotaro for the vacant title in 2013)...or Kotatsu Takehara, again. :!:

 

Is that vacant now?

Haumono never defended it after capturing it via TKO over Fujimoto in 2012 . He fought twice in 2012 but was absent from the ring for all of 2014 (though he did help prep Alex Leapai for his title shot with Klitschko, and his name was thrown in the hat to meet Lucas Browne at one point...)

Is he even active? Is he still the OBPF champ or was he stripped? :think

 

Poll added.

 

Thanks for clearing that up. :good

I tweeted Haumono about it but he didn't bother responding. :!:

 

Well, if he avenges the loss, Ishida will be #2 in the OPBF rankings as well as the Japanese heavyweight champion (though it only is a field of three with him, Fujimoto and Takehara, all having fought each other, kind of a circle jerk at this point) - I wonder if the better option would be:

1. a rubber match Japanese title defense with Fujimoto and then if victorious, retire champ? ...or
2. challenge Parker, get slayed, but maybe a little better paid? (while Fujimoto presumably swoops in and beats Takehara again for the vacant Japanese HW title and then lets it go back to collecting rust as it did from 1957 until 2013, since they will be the only two in the country)

Safe to say neither has a chance with Parker, but how many times are Japanese audiences going to pay to see their rivalry? Could they milk it to a trilogy and have it be anything like what either of them could make challenging Parker for the OPBF?

 

I take it back - Haumono actually did reply!


‏@SolomonHaumono 6m6 minutes ago sorry for the late response Cory but I'd love to fight either one especially in Japan. Loved the people and culture.


He didn't answer my actual question though. :yep (whether he is still OPBF champ)

 

...


@SolomonHaumono Thanks. I read current OPBF rankings have Parker #1 (Kyotaro #2, Ishida #3). How about you versus Parker? Be huge in NZ, oi?

@CoryBlamire that would be a great fight. Just building my momentum up this year with some fights so maybe toward the back end of year
2:24 PM - 12 Feb 2015 · Details

 

Takehara ninth in the Pacific? :rofl

Guy just won't go away.

Also, speaking of Hidaka - it seems Takehara beat him by UD in and 8-round Japanese HW title eliminator a couple of years ago. Between that, and losing to Gregory Tony, I don't know how much of a threat Hidaka is. :!: