By REYNALD MAGALLON
Defending International Boxing Federation (IBF) mini flyweight champion Pedro Taduran is expecting an outcome no less than the result of his first encounter with Japanese fighter Ginjiro Shigeoka.
As if his ninth-round technical knockout win was not enough, the 28-year-old pride of Albay is, in fact, eyeing a more convincing victory this time around.
The rematch is all set as Taduran tries to defend his crown against Shigeoka – the same person he took down to wrest the IBF title – Saturday, May 24, at the Intex Osaka Convention Center in Japan.
Both Taduran and Shigeoka made weight with the champion tipping the scales at 104.5 lbs while the challenger weighed 105 lbs for their 12-round championship bout.
“Finally, it’s the moment I have been waiting for,” Taduran said after the pre-fight ritual as his handlers, led by chief trainer Carl Penalosa Jr and co-managers Marty and Cucuy Elorde, by his side.
Shigeoka (11-1, 9kos), though, is surely determined to bounce back from his first taste defeat and reclaim his belt.
Fighting again at his opponent’s home turf, Taduran knows the only way for him to keep the crown is to finish the fight early and not leave the outcome to the judges’ scorecards.
“Siyempre lugar nila kaya gagawin ko talaga ang lahat para ma-knockout siya,” vowed Taduran during his last workout at the Elorde Gym before flying to Japan.
And to do that, Taduran, who sports a 17-4-1 record with 13 knockouts, aims to dictate the fight with his controlled aggression against an opponent who will try to avoid a full head-on collision.
“We have to apply pressure right from the start,” said Penalosa. “As soon as the first round begins, Pedro is going to be there, throwing punches, ducking, throwing punches.”
“No other way Pedro fights. He will be starting strong and finishing strong. Pedro doesn’t have a choice but to move forward,” he added.
