Kazuto Ioka Embosses his Hall of Fame Credentials; KOs Perez in 7

The remarkable Naoya Inoue casts a very long shadow. Kazuto Ioka will likely never escape it. But Ioka has been quietly building a Hall of Fame resume of his own.

Akin to “The Monster,” Ioka has won world titles in four weight classes. He is in his second reign as a super flyweight (i.e., junior bantamweight) belt-holder. Tonight, at the Ota-City Gymnasium in Tokyo, he successfully defended the WBA version of that diadem with a one-sided beatdown of Venezuelan challenger Josper Perez. That elevated Ioka’s record to 31-2-1 (16 KOs). Both of his losses – to Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng and to Donnie Nietes of the Philippines – were by split decision.

A stablemate of Juan Francisco Estrada, Perez got this assignment when negotiations between Ioka and Estrada fell apart. He was game, but overmatched. Ioka put him on the canvas twice in round five, sending him to his knees with a barrage of punches and then knocking him down late in the round with an overhand right. The end came at the 2:44 mark of round seven. A straight right hand sent Perez (18-4) to the mat and he was counted out.

If Ioka, now 34, never gets to Canastota, they at least ought to name the Ota-City Gymnasium after him. This was his eighth straight fight at this venue, his fourth in this building on New Year’s Eve, a date on the calendar where he has fought 12 times. By our count, the longtime disciple of Las Vegas-based trainer Ismael Salas has fought 24 world title fights at various weights starting at 105 pounds. He is the first Asian male to win titles in four weight classes, a distinction now shared by Inoue, the 2023 TSS Fighter of the Year.

Ioka’s next assignment may find him in an underdog role. That will be the case if he locks horns with Estrada or with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the 23-year-old Texan who turned in another masterclass in his last start, turning away Sunny Edwards in nine lopsided rounds. Ioka has already defeated Rodriguez’s brother Joshua Franco after they fought to a draw in their first encounter.

Semi-wind-up

In a slam-bang affair for as long as it lasted, bantamweight Daigo Higa (21-2-1, 19 KOs) knocked out Navapon Khaikanha, (aka Nawaphon Sor Rungvisai) in the fourth round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a wicked shot to the body left Khaikanha writhing on the canvas where he was counted out at the 2:29 mark.

Higa was considered the next superstar of Japanese boxing when he opened his career with 15 knockouts. A TKO loss to Cristopher Rosales in 2018 compelled a reevaluation. Thailand’s Khaikanha boasted an impressive record (58-3-1, 48 KOs heading in), but only 30 of his 62 opponents had winning records.

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