Kazuto Ioka didn’t want to let anybody down, and he will not do so. As Iota fans, and fans of Japanese boxing know, it has been traditional for some years now for there to be a big boxing card in Japan on New Year’s Eve, often one featuring the reigning WBA junior bantamweight champion.
Ioka wanted to fight WBC champion, Juan Francisco Estrada on December 31 in Tokyo, but after a series of negotiations proved fruitless, Ioka will now fight former world title challenger Josber Perez on the big night.
Speaking with RingTV.com, Ioka, 30-2-1(15) and for some experts one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world today, said he considers it his “duty” to fight any and all contenders and to put on a show for the fans on New Year’s Eve.
“My team spent a lot of time negotiating persistently with Estrada’s camp, but we were unable to reach and agreement,” Ioka said. “Of course, it’s unfortunate, but for me, the fight against Estrada is not everything. I am a champion and I believe it is my duty to have a fight against a challenger. Also, there are many boxing fans who are looking forward to my fight on New Year’s Eve. Therefore, even though it’s not a unification fight, I’ve decided to fight on New Year’s Eve.”
Ioka deserves credit for thinking about his fans and for having a ‘the show must go on’ attitude. Plenty of other fighters may well have opted to sit the celebratory evening out and not fought. Ioka, though, who is a real talent, a joy to watch when he’s at his best, is proud of his big New Year’s Eve nights – “I feel it is my mission to fight on New Year’s Eve, and I will definitely win this bout,” he said.
Ioka also stated how he very much believes he will get the Estrada fight next year and that he will get himself unification fights in 2024. That means the fight with Estrada, which Ioka still believes will happen, while Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has also said he plans to campaign back at 115 in his next move. A fight between Ioka and Rodriguez would prove fascinating. But in the meantime, 34-year-old Ioka must not slip up against Venezuela’s Perez, 20-3(18). The 28-year-old former WBA flyweight title challenger will enter the ring as a significant underdog, but Perez can punch, and he is coming off three straight KO wins. Perez really has nothing to lose in the Ioka fight.
For boxing junkies who cannot get enough, the final world title fight of 2023 could prove well worth tuning in for. Ioka is a special talent, and the four-weight world champion who was last seen twice battling Joshua Franco in thrilling encounters is in no mood to let any of his fans down.
Ioka to get a late stoppage win over Perez before looking forward to a big 2024.