Japanese Scene: Uchiyama-Solis Confirmed, Lee's First Defense vs Shimoda, Nashiro to Challenge Rojas

Sidney Boquiren has the latest boxing news from Japan.  For more Japanese boxing updates, you can follow Sidney on twitter: RingwalkNippon@Twitter

Uchiyama-Solis finally confirmed for January 10

The training wheels appear to have been taken off of Takashi Uchiyama’s reign as WBA beltholder, as it was announced on Thursday that he will put his crown on the line against Jorge Solis on January 10. The Ring Magazine’s #4 rated super featherweight (16-0, 13KO) looked spectacular in his title-winning effort against Juan Carlos Salgado in January, but has yet to make a defense against an opponent that posed any real danger. Though his stoppages of Angel Granados and Roy Mukhlis were impressive in their own right, Uchiyama’s combination of tempered skills and overwhelming power left fans and pundits wanting for a more stern test of his abilities. The 31-year old Solis (40-2-2, 29KO), who holds the interim title and fought gamely against Manny Pacquiao in 2007, would be just that.

Rumors that the fight was being discussed had circulated since Uchiyama won the title 10 months ago, but a deal was never reached. Though the Mexican was targeted as a potential opponent for Uchiyama’s second defense, Solis decided to defend his interim trinket in September, leaving representatives for the full champ to sign Mukhlis for the autumn appearance. Upon destroying the Indonesian in five frames, Uchiyama and his team reconfirmed that they wanted a showdown with Solis and expressed that they would be willing to fight in Mexico if necessary.

Media reports of the press conference on Thursday note that Uchiyama’s representatives are already trying to hype up the fight, with Watanabe Gym chairman Hitoshi Watanabe predicting his charge will stop the Mexican veteran within seven rounds. Although Uchiyama carries a ring moniker of "Knockout Dynamite", he is more of a pacing technician that happens to have concussive power when he chooses to sit on his punches. The 31-year old played down Watanabe’s proclamation, saying that he will not focus on scoring a knockout, rather do what is necessary to win the fight.

January’s Uchiyama-Solis contest will be a part of a doubleheader at the Ariake Colosseum, as WBA super bantamweight champ Ryol Li Lee attempts to make the first defense of his title against Akifumi Shimoda.

Lee’s first defense set against OPBF champ Shimoda

An opponent for Ryol Li Lee’s first defense has been selected, as the 28-year old will take on regional OPBF champ Akifumi Shimoda in the main supporting bout of Uchiyama-Solis. Fresh off a major upset over Thai beast Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in early October, the Ring Magazine’s #2 122-pounder (17-1-1, 8KO) was expected to be matched with a countryman for his first appearance as the WBA titleholder. Shimoda, as well as national beltholder Masaaki Serie, was an early favorite to be Lee’s challenger. Fighting out of national powerhouse Teiken Gym, Shimoda (22-2-1, 10KO) is a 26-year old that has dropped a couple of bouts against respectable competition earlier in his career. However, the southpaw has made good improvement in recent years, making his way out to Los Angeles and Las Vegas to fine-tune his craft. He won the OPBF crown in March and defended it once in August.

Lee proved most pundits wrong when he upset Poonsawat, earning a unanimous decision with crafty footwork and counterpunching. The Thai warrior was befuddled as he aimlessly followed the challenger, unable to find a solution for Lee’s superb game plan.

Against Shimoda, however, the new titleholder told the press that, despite his relative inexperience against lefties, he hopes to show the depth of his skill set and will look to trade with the challenger.

Nashiro to challenge for title again

Tomas Rojas will again make the trip between Mexico and Japan, as he will face former WBA champ Nobuo Nashiro on February 5 in Osaka. The 30-year old finally claimed a full title after a series of disappointments in previous attempts when he outlasted Kohei Kono for the vacant WBC super flyweight crown on the undercard of Uchiyama-Mukhlis in September. Surviving a scare in the twelfth round of the contest when Kono, who had been unable to lay more than a finger on the Mexican for the previous 33 minutes, caught him flush and sent him to the canvas, Rojas returns to the land of the rising sun to make the first defense of his green belt.

Nashiro will look to become only the fourth Japanese pugilist to win a title for the third time. The humble Kansai native has had an up and down career, matching Joichiro Tatsuyoshi’s national record for winning a title in only his eighth pro bout, but lost it after only one defense. Squeezing out a split decision over Kono to recapture the belt in 2008, Nashiro made two defenses before Hugo Cazares dethroned him six months ago. The 29-year old brawler was sufficiently outclassed by Cazares’ technical performance, losing by wide margins on the scorecards.

Rojas-Nashiro could be a fun little battle. Cazares proved that the local fighter could be held at bay by a more technically proficient boxer, while Kono (who is basically a light punching version of Nashiro) showed that Rojas’ chin could be exposed. Look for the Mexican to try and repeat his September performance and keep away from Nashiro. The former champ, on the other hand, should be able to better able to take advantage of opportunities on which Kono was not able to capitalize.

More boxing notes

• Koki Kameda could be in line for a shot at a title in a third weight class as he is now the #2 bantamweight contender in the WBA, according to the Panamanian organization’s most recent rankings. As Anselmo Moreno was elevated to "Super Champion" status, the regular title, as well as the #1 spot, was left vacant, meaning Kameda and #3 rated Lorenzo Parra could meet in a box-off for the championship. It was believed that Kameda would campaign at 115 after losing his flyweight crown to Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in March, but the new placement may make it easier for the 24-year old to achieve his goal of becoming a three-division champ by adding a title at 118.
• Japanese upstart Takashi Okada (3-0-1, 1KO), who won a unanimous decision over hyped prospect McWilliams Arroyo in a splendid four rounder in June, returned to the ring last night in San Diego, dominating Mexico’s Daniel Modad (2-3, 1KO) over four. Currently based in the US and under the tutelage of respected cutman and trainer Rudy Hernandez, Okada won every point on the cards for a shutout.

e-mail Sidney Boquiren

For more coverage of Japanese boxing, follow Sidney on Twitter: RingwalkNippon@Twitter