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Fernando “Pumita” Martinez and Kazuto Ioka will be accompanied by another familiar face in the ring this weekend.
Luis Pabon was once again appointed as the third man for the abovementioned WBA junior bantamweight title fight. A 32-year ring official from Puerto Rico, Pabon is one of four neutral officials assigned to the rematch, which will air live on ABEMA-TV in Japan on Sunday from Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.
The three ringside judges are Robert Hoyle (US), Raul Caiz Snr (US) and Bence Kovacs (Hungary).
Pabon was the referee for the first meeting between the fighters, won by Argentina’s Martinez, now 17-0 (9 KOs), via unanimous decision last July 7 at Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. Martinez outpointed Ioka, now 31-3-1 (16 KOs), by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and an absurd 120-108 to unify the WBA and IBF 115lbs titles in a memorable slugfest.
None of the officials assigned this Sunday worked the first fight. In fact, of the three, Caiz has served as a judge for just one previous fight involving Ioka – his April 2015 WBA flyweight title win over Juan Carlos Reveco. Caiz scored the bout dead-even at 114-114, overruled by scores of 115-113 and 116-113 for Ioka, who became a three-division titlist that evening.
Judge Kovacs’ lone previous experience with either boxer came as a referee. He was the in-ring official for Ioka’s July 2022 WBO junior bantamweight title-defending win over Donnie Nietes in Tokyo. The win saw Ioka avenge a December 2018 defeat to the four-division titlist from the Philippines.
Sunday will mark the first time judge Hoyle works a bout involving either boxer.
Pabon was also the referee for Ioka’s June 2023 win over Joshua Franco, which began his WBA junior bantamweight title reign.
Ioka lost the belt to Martinez last summer and now aims to become a three-time titleholder at the weight. He has previously won major belts at strawweight, junior flyweight and flyweight.
Martinez won the IBF 115lbs title in February 2022 and made three successful defenses, including his unification win over Ioka. He was forced to vacate the IBF belt when he opted to move forward with this rematch – originally scheduled for last New Year’s Eve – in lieu of a mandatory title defense against Willibaldo Garcia.
The year-end plans for this sequel were scrapped just before the weigh-in when an ill Martinez was forced to withdraw from the contest.
As a result, neither Martinez nor Ioka have fought since last summer.
A win by Ioka would improve his record to 4-0 in rematches. He is currently 1-2-1 in first meetings with eventual repeat opponents.
