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Fourteen years after his
professional debut in 2002,
Kenichi “Machine Gun” Yamaguchi
(35) will be looking to finally
win a world championship when he
takes on undefeated fellow
countryman Kentaro Kobayashi
(25) for the vacant World Boxing
Federation (WBF) World Super
Bantamweight title on Saturday
April 23 in Osaka, Japan.
Yamaguchi, 19-3-2 (5), captured
a regional title in 2009 when he
beat Roberto Lerio in Australia,
and in 2011 he traveled to
Mexico to challenge Orlando
Salido for the WBO World
Featherweight title, but was
stopped in the eleventh round
after a valiant effort.
He has since been trying to get
in line for another world
championship opportunity, and
after basing his career in the
Philippines in 2014 he now
returns to his native country
for the big chance against a
talented but untested southpaw
in Kobayashi, 8-0-1 (2).
Both boxers currently resides in
Osaka, so the scene is set for
an encounter with plenty of
pride on the line. However,
while eight of Kobayashi´s nine
pro bouts took place there, its
been more than seven years since
Yamaguchi fought in the city, so
the younger man will likely have
the larger local following.
With boxing being a massively
popular sport in Japan, and the
East Asian island country having
so many world class operators,
the Yamaguchi vs. Kobayashi WBF
world Super Bantamweight title
fight is a big event in Osaka,
and one that WBF President
Howard Goldberg is looking
forward to, saying:
“In
boxing, we know that Japan has
some of the very best fighters
in the lighter weight classes,
and I believe that this match-up
is going to be very, very good.
Its an honor for me to travel to
Japan to supervise this fight,
and I look forward to meeting
all the knowledgeable Japanese
boxing people and fans.”
Yamaguchi vs. Kobayashi is the
main event of a show promoted by
Golden Ball Promotions, and will
be preceded by a full undercard
featuring local talent.
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