Now, switching gears to focus on the REAL super-fight of the first week of May...

Takashi Uchiyama vs. Jomthong :deal

Wednesday morning in Tokyo, somebody's 0 has got to go!

 

I see the old man repelling the phenom, just barely.

There will be hairy moments, given how talented Jomthong is and how iffy Uchiyama has looked for moments in some recent defenses - but I think he still has just enough left to rally and put a stamp on it.

 

Decent co-feature, too, in Taguchi vs. Kwanthai...

 

:deal

 

Ideal scenario:

Uchiyama edges out Jomthong, by the skin of his teeth.

Uchiyama decides to get out while the getting is good with a big-money domestic unification cash-out rematch with Miura.

Miura dethrones him.

The first defense of Miura's unified title is against Jomthong, who claims them.

Everybody comes out smelling rosy.

Uchiyama gets enough kudos for beating Jomthong to more than cancel out the negative of subsequently losing to Miura (over whom Uchiyama already has a W) - which, if you have to bow out, isn't the worst note on which to do so.

Miura gets, at last, redemption and validation at the end of his long road of improvement since the Uchiyama loss. He also gets to become unified champ, albeit briefly, prior to serving as the launchpad for a potentially great career in Jomthong's.

The kid, meanwhile, is young enough that a loss to a fading but still very able champion won't affect him too adversely - especially if he returns a short time later to beat the man who beat the man.