Junior flyweight titleholder Thanongsak Simsri has a date with his mandatory challenger.
Simsri will defend his IBF belt on April 13 against Sergio Mendoza. The show will take place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, according to Bxstrs Promotions, which promotes Mendoza.
This will be the first defense for Simsri but his second straight trip to Japan. Last June, he won a split decision over Cristian Araneta on the undercard of Brian Norman Jnr’s highlight-reel knockout of Jin Sasaki at Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
The victory earned Simsri the vacant IBF title, which had previously belonged to Masamichi Yabuki. Simsri, a 25-year-old from Thailand, now sports a record of 39-1 (34 KOs). His sole defeat came against Yabuki via seventh-round TKO in 2022.
Mendoza, 27-0 (23 KOs), is a 25-year-old from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He won an elimination bout in his hometown in November, knocking out Mpumelelo Tshabalala in the third round.
The fight will be broadcast on ESPN Knockout, according to Bxstrs.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
