Young phenom Ginjiro Shigeoka set to fight for first professional title
Strawweight fighter Ginjiro Shigeoka is on the fast track. Only 19-years old, the 5’0” dynamo from Tokyo has drawn rave reviews in his native Japan due to his impressive amateur (56-1, 17 KO amateur record) pedigree and early success as a pro. Now after only three pro fights, Shigeoka will fight for his first professional title.
3KingsBoxing has learned Shigeoka (3-0, 3 KO’s) will fight Clyde Azarcon (15-2-1, 5 KO’s) of the Philippines for the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific Strawweight title. The bout will take place on July 27 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
This fight carries significant meaning for multiple reasons. First, if victorious, Shigeoka would gain an automatic ranking by the world sanctioning bodies. Also, the mere existence of this fight this early speaks to how highly his handlers think of him. Lastly, this could imply that his handlers are looking for a WBO World Strawweight title opportunity down the road.
Guts and Glory
As evidenced by current world champions Naoya Inoue, Kosei Tanaka, Kazuto Ioka, Hiroto Kyoguchi all becoming world champions in less than ten pro bouts, managers and promoters from Japan are not afraid to challenge and move their fighters along sooner rather than later.
We at 3KingsBoxing profiled Ginjiro Shigeoka in February 2019, tabbing him as possibly the next great fighter from Japan. Having seen him fight, the talent is obvious to see. A southpaw with speed, skill and power in both hands, the young upstart has the ability to be the next in line of fighters from Japan to win a world title with little professional experience.
Can Shigeoka follow in the footsteps of predecessors like Inoue, Tanaka, Ioka, and Kyoguchi? Looks as if we will find out sooner. The road to what Shigeoka hopes is an eventual world championship begins on July 27.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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