By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Tough Rocky Fuentes (26-6-2, 16 KO’s), the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation flyweight champion made the 112 pound limit without trouble at the official weigh in for his second title defense at a clinic in Nagoya where the OPBF conducted the weigh-in.
Team Fuentes was accompanied by Kota Matsuda of the Matsuda Boxing Gym and was met at the clinic by officials of the Japan Boxing Commission.
Chad Canares of the ALA Gym told the Inquirer that the 24 year old Fuentes who was 2.8 pounds over the flyweight limit on Friday came in at a shade over 111 pounds while his opponent No. 1 contender , 30 year old Yasuto Aritomi (17-1-2, 8 KO’s) tipped the scales at 111.77 pounds.
Aritomi had previously fought then champion Masafumi Okubo to a 3rd round technical draw on August 16, 2008. Okubo subsequently lost the title by a twelve round majority decision to Fuentes on March 9 this year.
Canares reported that Fuentes who engaged Shigetaka Ikehara in a veritable war in his first title defense last June 5 which he won by an 11th round TKO when the Japanese challenger said he had had enough and which the Japanese media claimed could be the local “Fight of the Year” said he “feels really good and is ready for another war.”
Fuentes and stable-mate Marjun Yap (13-2, 7 KO’s) who weighed 123.01 pounds for his clash with Hiromasha Ohashi (21-9-3, 15 KO’s) who tipped the scales at 124.12 both jogged along with trainer Joseph Baldago in the morning and worked out at a park just behind their hotel Friday afternoon.
The promising Yap has won his last six fights after dropping back-to-back close decisions to Carlos Magale. He faces a hard battle with former OPBF champion Ohashi who won the super bantamweight title with a 7th round knockout of Filipino Rolly “Matsushita” Lunas on Jun 21, 2009 but lost the title to Akifumi Shimoda on March 28, 2010 by a unanimous twelve round decision.