A week ago today he struck upon a full year of inactivity since his last bout. The skilled but feather-fisted southpaw is still the WBO titlist at straw, but COVID-19 has forced multiple delays of his third defense (so there's no question of him being stripped anytime soon). He is currently the only Puerto Rican boxing world champion. Ring Magazine has him ranked fourth among 105lb belt-holders, behind the three Thais embroiled in the WBC and WBA dance (domestic supremacy as much the goal as unification glory); they have IBF champ Pedro Taduran all the way down at #9. He's only 24, with plenty of prime ahead of him and IMO has the most upside of the lot. I'd say his ceiling is to be the second coming of Iván "El Niño de Hierro" Calderón, but absolutely no higher and even that's a hard maybe (and in my book that's no insult). With a mean punch he'd be a real force in the fly range, but... alas. What's the read on him from the rest of you?
I quite like Mendez myself. Besides the knockdown against Saludar, he outboxed him pretty neatly. This content is protected Personally for me both Shigeoka bros have more potential than Mendez.
Oh yeah! Haven't thought about those kids since pre-Covid. Yudai will probably end up climbing up to super fly (and beyond perhaps) but yeah, Ginjiro is probably around for the long haul standing five nothing.
Ginjiro has the makings of a potential strawwweight great with his size and skills. Can envision a nice protracted run as a champion for a number of years.
I reckon he'll move a weight class or two when I believe he inevitably loses his first title, not that I'm saying he's an easy touch. He would be the type to be able to win a title at a second weight class by outboxing a champ having one of their lesser efforts in the ring.
I'm holding off anointing him the second coming of Naoya until he gets a little more quality experience under his belt. Early returns, however, are that he's terrific and headed possibly in that direction. Sucks that he missed an entire calendar year and counting. He's even younger than Méndez, though (by 3 years)...wagonloads of prime left.
