Takuma Inoue. Picture / Naoki Fukuda
Expert boxer Takuma Inoue made the daring determination to maneuver as much as junior featherweight and can face skilled Shingo Wake in a crossroads battle for the vacant OPBF title on the famed Korakuen Corridor, Tokyo on Thursday.
Nevertheless, Inoue, who has spent a lot of his profession within the shadow of his supremely gifted elder brother Naoya, is retaining his choices open, and isn’t ruling out dropping again to 118-pounds.
“I acquired a superb battle provide and I believed I ought to take it,” Inoue (14-1, 3 knockouts) informed The Ring by way of Hank Hakoda. “I nonetheless really feel that my greatest appropriate weight division stays [at] bantamweight.
“Contemplating my physique now, I would return to bantamweight. Ideally my subsequent [fight would be a] world title shot at bantamweight once more after successful this battle. I do know I’ve to be prepared in each weight courses for the any potential alternatives.”
The 25-year-old is wanting ahead to testing himself in opposition to the larger Wake. He hopes to indicate new issues on this battle and acknowledges he might have to satisfy fireplace with fireplace in some unspecified time in the future.
“I can not wait to battle in opposition to Shingo Wake,” he mentioned. “I’m in the perfect situation now, all the things goes excellent.
“My blueprint for this outing is simply successful and be my management with out permitting my opponent to do something to me. I’m making an attempt so as to add extra flexibility to my boxing abilities in order that I can pull out totally different strengths as a fighter. For example, I ought to think about combating extra aggressively when essential.
Inoue, who was the 2015 Ring Journal “Prospect of The 12 months”, is aware of victory is crucial if he’s to achieve one other world title alternative within the close to future.
“I have to clear this encounter it doesn’t matter what,” he mentioned the previous WBC Interim bantamweight titlist. “I need my followers to count on that I will probably be a world champ once more. I’ll knock him out.”
Inoue’s promoter, former WBA and WBC strawweight champion Hideyuki Ohashi, head of Ohashi Promotions, expects his fighter to ship a profession greatest efficiency.
“This [fight] is so necessary battle for Takuma Inoue,” mentioned Ohashi. “He has a shiny future [and needs to win to] get a world title once more. I count on Takuma’s greatest efficiency in opposition to Shingo Wake.”
Wake (27-6-2, 19 KOs) turned skilled in 2006. After going an unspectacular streak of 12-4-2, he upset then-unbeaten future IBF 122-pound titleholder Yukinori Oguni (RTD 10). The massive puncher rattled off 5 consecutive title defenses, all inside the gap. That helped earn him a shot on the vacant IBF title in opposition to Jonathan Guzman (L TKO 11).
The 34-year-old southpaw rebounded to win six fights, together with claiming the Japanese title in opposition to Yusaku Kuga (TKO 10). Wake was surprisingly derailed by former opponent Jhunriel Ramonal (TKO 3) however acquired again to successful methods final trip in opposition to Shohei Kawashima (TKO 6).
Our correspondent Hank Hakoda coordinated and translated this characteristic.
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