PEDRO Taduran hopes to take care of business against Ginjiro Shigeoka Saturday night in what should be the initial step in his bid for a unification title.
The Filipino champion stakes his IBF mini-flyweight crown against the former Japanese title holder in their rematch at the INTEX Osaka in Japan.
Taduran, 28, showed how ready he is for the 12-round fight by tipping the scales at 104.5lbs during the official weigh-in Friday.
Shigeoka meanwhile, came in at exactly the 105lbs limit.
The Libon, Albay native became a two-time world champion last year when he dethroned Shigeoka via a ninth round TKO in a fight held at the Japanese city of Otsu.
It was the first career loss for the 25-year-old Japanese (11-1, 9 KOs).
Taduran’s trainer Carl Penalosa Jr. said the plan is to put the same pressure they did against Shigeoka during their first meeting.
“Papasukin talaga namin,” said Penalosa, who is accompanied in the trip by Taduran’s co-managers Marty and Cucuy Elorde.
“Kaya kapag tinamaan siya (Shigeoka), hindi na namin siya titigilan. Kapag nakatama kami, buhos na, pasok, suntok na nang suntok.”
Taduran (17-4-1, 13 KOs) is looking to repeat his victory over Shigeoka as a possible unification match with reigning WBA and WBO mini-flyweight champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico looms in the horizon.
Shigeoka however, vows to reclaim his title, saying he’s in better shape than his first meeting with the champion.
“My condition now is much better than the last time,” said the Japanese challenger.
The third man in the ring is Ignatius Missailidis, while the three judges scoring the bout are Kats Nakamura of Japan, Gil Co from the Philippines, and Dave Braskow of the U.S.
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