Saludar-Kurihara rematch spices up ‘Kumbati 16’ in Cebu

Japanese Keita Kurihara lands on the canvas head first after getting a bone-crushing shot from Filipino Froilan Saludar in their fight last year in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo from fightnews

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Froilan Saludar and Japanese Keita Kurihara will have their grudge rematch in the co-main event of Mega Sports Promotions’ ‘Kumbati 16’ at the Convention Center of NUSTAR Resort Cebu  on Jan. 26, 2024.

To recall, Saludar stunned Kurihara via a first-round technical knockout in his hometown in Tokyo, Japan, last October to win the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantamweight title. 

Reeling from his defeat, Kurihara immediately earned a rematch against Saludar after it was announced last November. 

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Initially, the bout was planned to be held in South Korea but ultimately landed as the co-main event of “Kumbati 16”. 

In an interview with Ringtv website, Kurihara admitted he was too complacent in their first meeting, resulting in the first-round TKO. 

However, he vowed to prepare and focus better to reclaim the OPBF title he lost to Saludar in Tokyo. 

Saludar is a one-time world title contender. He fought but lost to Japanese Sho Kimura for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world flyweight title in 2018 in China via a sixth round knockout. 

His victory over Kurihara was a timely comeback after losing to Mexican world champion Luis Nery in Mexico in July last year. 

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He has a record of 34 wins with 24 knockouts, seven losses, and one draw. 

Kurihara has a 17-8-1 (win-loss-draw) record with 15 knockouts.

The 34-year-old Saludar is the older brother of former world champion Vic “Vicious Saludar. 

Vic Saludar fought in Cebu last December in Naga City and won the Asian Boxing Federation minimumweight title by knocking out Francis Jay Diaz in the “Rumble in Naga II.”

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