FORMER world champion Rene Cuarto faces undefeated Ginijro Shigeoka of Japan for the interim International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title on Sunday (Manila time) at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.
Rene Cuarto vs Ginijro Shigeoka
Cuarto, who once held the same 105-pound belt, yielded his crown following a split decision loss to Daniel Valladares of Mexico last year.
Now he gets to move closer at regaining the same title with a win over Shigeoka.
The fight was made possible after Valladares’ title defense against Shigeoka ended in a no-contest after the Mexican was declared unfit to fight following an accidental head butt in the third round of their match held last January. All three judges had the bout tied at 19-19 when it was stopped.
Cuarto is rated no. 3 by the IBF, while Shigeoka is at no. 4 following the outcome of his match against Valladares.
No fighter is rated at no. 2, paving the way for the Cuarto-Shigeoka showdown.
The Filipino and Japanese both tipped the scale Saturday during the official weigh-in. Cuarto weighed in at exactly 105lbs, while Shigeoka came in at 104.9lbs.
Cuarto has a record of 21-3-2 including 12 KOs, while Shigeoka sports an undefeated 8-0 card, with 6 KOs.
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