Landile Ngxeke will go into next Friday’s double regional title clash against Eric Gamboa with a mission to break the monopoly of Japanese boxers in the bantamweight division.
For the first time in history, all four world champions in the bantamweight division hail from Japan, with others waiting in the wings for an opportunity to get their turn.
Ngxeke is one of the few boxers outside of Japan rated in lofty spots by the sanctioning world bodies, with the WBO listing him third behind Japanese Tenshin Nasukawa for a title held by his compatriot, Yoshiki Takei.
Nasukawa, a former kick boxer, cemented his spot by beating Dominican Republican Victor Santillan at the weekend on the undercard of the WBC-IBF bantamweight clash between compatriots Junto Nakatani and Ryosuke Nishida.
Nakatani, who is widely considered the top dog of the division, forced a stoppage when Nishida dislocated his shoulder at the end of the sixth round to become a dual champion.
Ngxeke will attempt to disrupt the Japanese dominance by beating Mexican Gamboa for the WBO Intercontinental and IBF International title clash at the Abbotsford Christian Centre in a bout arranged to amplify his chances of a world title shot.
His promoter, Ayanda Matiti, who will stage the tournament to commemorate Youth Month, confirmed that Ngxeke needed to win spectacularly to push his case for a title shot.
Though he also commands sixth spot in the IBF ratings, with Nasukawa and compatriot Takuma Inoue rated above him and third-ranked Mexican Jose Salas Reyes already moved up a division, Ngxeke’s title route looks to be headed towards the WBO.
“I think the most likely route for Ngxeke is the WBO, but we will take any chance coming his way,” Matiti said.
Takei is scheduled to make his mandatory title defence against Mexican Christian Medina, tentatively pencilled in for November, which will see Ngxeke being elevated depending on which title Nasukawa wants to go for.
Other Japanese boxers are vying for a title shot, such as knockout specialist Riku Masuda, who scored a one-punch first-round knockout victory over Michell Banquez on the Nakatani-Nishida undercard.
The power-punching unbeaten Japanese, who scored his eighth knockout win in as many fights, is, however, rated lower than Ngxeke, with his sights seemingly set on the WBA title route.
Another Japanese who will likely be elevated in the WBO is Tomoya Tsuboi, a former two-time world amateur gold medallist, after winning the WBO Asian Pacific title with a one-sided beat-down of Vietnamese Van Thao Tran in only his second pro bout.
Tsuboi is touted as the next big star from Japan with world sanctioning bodies, who are keen to muscle in on the country’s boxing activity, likely to give him preferential treatment in a race for a title shot.
Matiti has long been resigned to go to Japan for Ngxeke’s title aspirations, encouraged by the country’s reputation of paying the most lucrative purses in the lighter divisions.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.