Today (Saturday, December 31st) sees Japan host a bevy of boxing that features 5 world title fights across three different fight shows. The big attention-getter here is the Ota City Gym event that features the rematch between Takashi Uchiyama and Jezreel Corrales for the WBA’s “Super World” super featherweight title. Uchiyama was 24-0-1 and he had held the WBA’s world title for over five years when he defended his belt against Corrales this past April. Uchiyama graced many of the pound for pound lists at the time and Corrales entered the fight a major underdog. Less than two rounds later, Uchiyama was on the canvas and Corrales was going home to Panama with the belt. Interestingly, Uchiyama will enter this match an underdog paying +185. Corrales is paying back at -225. Corrales is 25 years old and though he does not have a lot of KOs across his career, he is entering his prime and he had Uchiyama down three times in the first match and he has scored six straight stoppage wins since the middle of 2014. Corrales has not fought since winning the title as he signed for the re-match with Uchiyama and has had several months to train and preapre knowing Uchiyama will be his next opponent. For Uchiyama, this is one last grab at glory. For the last six New Year’s eve, Uchiyama has headlined a Tokyo boxing event and this will be the first time he does it without a world title around his waist. The main issue here for Uchiyama will be that he is now 37 years old and he is facing a hungry fighter who is twelve years younger. The lines for this fight are a complete reversal from the first fight where Uchiyama was a four figure favorite. Some may find value in Uchiyama as an underdog, as he was rated among the top fighters in the world before his loss. Uchiyama was long linked to rumours that saw him fighting outside of Japan, but that never materialized and he always fought at home. He will still have advantage in this fight, and if he does not get caught by a power shot he is very likely to have the skill to outbox Corrales and leave his fate to the judges. Some who still rate Uchiyama highly may find value in him as an underdog. Of the rest of Saturday’s title fights in Japan, the WBO light flyweight showdown between Kosei Tanaka and Moises Fuentes is a pick’em fight basically for a vacant world title. Fuentes is the veteran at 24-2-1 who has had world titles in two weight classes (105 lnb and 108 lbs) and right now he is paying back at +100. Tanaka is 7-0 in his brief career but the 21 year old has a lot of hype behind him and a win here would give him a world title in a second weight class already in his young career. Tanaka is a slight -120 favorite heading into the fight. Below are the lines forthe other world title fights going down in Japan this Saturday. Ota City General Gymnasium – Tokyo, Japan Light Flyweight 12 rounds – WBA Carlos Cenizales +385 Ryoichi Taguchi -485 Shimazu Arena – Kyoto, Japan – Sat 12/31 Super Bantamweight 12 rounds – IBF Yukinori Oguni +900 Jonathan Guzman -1375 Flyweight 12 rounds – WBA Yutthana Kaensa +1300 Kazuto Ioka -2150
Uchiyama vs Corrales 2 and more Saturday boxing in Japan
