Kazuto Ioka (Left) and Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez Face Off At Finish of April 20 press convention to announce their July 7 WBA/IBF unification conflict in Tokyo. Photograph credit score: Naoki Fukuda
Kazuto Ioka and Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez met the press, the followers and one another.
The pair of reigning 115-pound junior bantamweight titlists are set for his or her WBA/IBF unification conflict. The terrific matchup was formally introduced at a press convention Monday afternoon in Tokyo. Ioka-Martinez will headline a July 7 ABEMA-TV telecast from Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan area.
Ioka (31-2-1, 16 knockouts) will try the second protection of his WBA title. The Ring’s No. 1-rated junior bantamweight enters his twenty fourth profession full title struggle spanning 4 weight divisions. Argentina’s Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs), No. 2 at 115, makes an attempt his third protection of the IBF belt he has held for greater than two years.
Each boxers have been all enterprise in the course of the press convention however accommodating to the general public previous the occasion.
Ioka sported a black blazer and spoke of the vital of this struggle going down for his adoring public.
The Osaka-born 4 division titlist has made Tokyo his dwelling, the place he has fought eight straight occasions. All have taken place at Ota-Metropolis Common Gymnasium.
This bout will mark his first on the famed Kogukikan, which was used for the boxing portion of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It most lately hosted the February 24 title struggle tripleheader that includes Junto Nakatani and Takuma Inoue in separate bouts.
Argentina’s Martinez was decked out in a stunning black and gold costume shirt and black pants. The unbeaten IBF titlist gleefully posed with adoring native followers who waited in line for selfies. It got here in distinction to all-business strategy by Ioka in the course of the press occasion.
Ioka has received main titles at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight. He received the WBO 115-pound title in June 2019 and made six profitable defenses.
The final got here in a majority draw with Joshua Franco of their Dec. 2022 WBA/WBO unification bout. Ioka subsequently vacated to simply accept an instantaneous rematch with Franco in lieu of a compulsory title protection versus Junto Nakatani. The transfer resulted in his present title reign, as he dethroned Franco by way of choice final June 24.
Martinez received the IBF belt in a February 2022 factors win over long-reigning Jerwin Ancajas. Their October 2022 rematch noticed Martinez repeat the feat. He then turned away unbeaten Jade Bornea by way of eleventh-round stoppage final June 24 in Minneapolis, hours after Ioka dethroned Franco.
Ioka most lately stopped Josber Perez of their seventh spherical final New Yr’s Eve at Ota-Metropolis Common Gymnasium.
Martinez will struggle on the highway for the fifth straight time and in six of his final seven fights. He final fought in his native Argentina in December 2020. His final three bouts have all taken place within the U.S. and with the IBF title at stake.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for The Ring and vp of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Comply with @JakeNDaBox
