Filipino champ stakes world tite belt in gigantic rematch with Japanese opponent

Sports

REVENGE or validation? This will be determined when Filipino world champion Pedro Taduran battles Japan’s Ginjiro Shigeoka on May 25 in Osaka, Japan.

At stake in the mega fight is Taduran’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) world minimumweight belt–the title that he stole from then defending champion Shigeoka.

The fight offers an interesting storyline.

Taduran is one of just two current Filipino world boxing champions–the other being Melvin Jerusalem.

Jerusalem managed to stay a world champion after scoring a unanimous decision win over Yudai Shigeoka a few days ago in Japan.

Yudai is the brother of Ginjiro.

Ginjiro will certainly be extra motivated when he goes up against Taduran as he will not only seek his own revenge but will also try to avenge his brother’s loss to a Filipino boxer.

Ginjiro suffered a painful loss in his meeting with Taduran, losing his world title via a ninth-round technical knockout loss.

Ginjiro suffered a severe beating at the hands of Taduran that he sustained a fractured orbital floor in his right eye.

Taduran and Jerusalem are actually treading the same route. Jerusalem won his current world title by unseating Yudai in their first meeting.

With subplots aplenty, pundits believe that the Taduran-Ginjiro showdown is certainly going to be epic.

Taduran has 17 wins, 13 by knockout, four losses, and a draw. Ginjiro will come into the fight with 11 11 victories, nine by KO, and just one defeat.(CCM)