By Rey Danseco
FORMER Philippine and Oriental and Pacific minimumweight champion Rodel “Kid Rapido” Mayol will resume his campaign on September 18.
Mayol takes on little-known and seems patsy Japanese opponent named Masatsugu Okada to regain his confidence after losing his first shot for world title three month ago.
The non-title fight will be served as one of the undercards of three championship bouts at Pacifico in Yokohama, Japan.
Mayol failed to live up to expectations after losing to Eagle Kyowa, a Japan-based Thai fighter, for the World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight title on May 6 in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
But with the current ranking of No. 2 by the WBC and his setback to Kyowas was the only blemish in his record, Mayol remains in hunt for title.
Okada is a 24-year old with 8-7-3 win-loss-draw records with three by way of knockouts. Base on his record in the internet, Okada hasn’t registered a win in his last seven fights (0-5-2) since 2003.
Okada is a year junior to Mayol. They are both orthodox althought Mayol has better the experience and record, 22-1, 17 KOs.
Mayol returned to Tokyo last May 11 and rigidly trains under Carl “Elbing” Penalosa at the Misako Boxing Gym, where three – WBA/WBC junior middle champ Koichi Wajima (1971), WBA super welter king Tandashi Mihara (1981) and WBC light fly boss Tadashi Tomori (1982) – of Japan’s 55 world champions in boxing came from since flyweight Yoshio Shirai became the first Japanese to win a world title in 1952.
Mayol’s Japanese manager Yasuo Matsuoka and his fellow boxers in Misako Boxing Gym are reportedly hoping for the resurgence of the Mandaue City-native fighter.
Mayol has 3-1 record in Japan since January 2001 in Takasago where he inflicted the first defeat of Japanese prospect Ken Nakajima
