Kai Ishizawa and his team. | Instagram photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Bringing a Japanese boxer to the Philippines wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
However, the PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions was able to pull off an excellent job after they reached a deal with ex-world title challenger Kai Ishizawa to fight in Tagbilaran City on April 30.
PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions revealed that they have to come up with a generous offer to bring Ishizawa to the Philippines which rarely happens these days.
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In a rare turn of events, Ishizawa, a Japanese contender, will come to the Philippines instead of fighting at home which is a popular trend in the bustling Japanese boxing scene.
Title defense
He will fight PMI Bohol Boxing Stable’s banner boxer, Regie “Filipino Phenom” Suganob, as the latter makes his first World Boxing Organization (WBO) Global light flyweight title defense.
However, bringing the Japanese boxer to the country wasn’t as easy as it seems.
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In an earlier interview, PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions chief, Floriezyl Echavez-Podot said that they needed a good matchmaker and a ‘competitive’ purse to lure the Japanese boxer.
“I have a very good matchmaker in the person of Edito Villamor. He convinced the Japanese camp to accept the offer,” said Podot, who is also a lawyer.
Competitive purse
“It involved financial consideration. We have to offer a competitive purse. The chance to fight Regie, considering they’re world-rated, it’s tempting. If they’re able to defeat Regie, Ishizawa’s ratings would be very high. Maybe that’s their prime consideration and the purse they’re willing to accept.”
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Podot, however, didn’t disclose the amount that they offered to Ishizawa which made him accept the offer to fight in Tagbilaran City.
Ishizawa, 27, will be fighting outside of Japan for the first time in his 14-bout professional career. He has 11 wins with 10 knockouts with three defeats.
Meanwhile, Suganob, 26, of Dauis, Bohol has a 14-1 (win-loss) record with four knockouts. Like Ishizawa, Suganob is also a one-time world title challenger and ranked No. 3 in the WBO.
One of the main reasons the PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions pursued Ishizawa is to answer the clamor of Filipino boxing fans to end the string of losses Filipino boxers suffer in Japan.
This time, it’s the Japanese’ turn to come to the Philippines and challenge a Filipino in the ring.