Legendary former world minimumweight champion Ricardo Lopez of Mexico will be invited to the Sept. 25 ‘’Lemino BOXING PHOENIX BATTLE 122’’ at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall, in which all the participating boxers are minimumweight, organizers said on July 17.
Ohashi Boxing Gym President Hideyuki Ohashi, who lost his World Boxing Council minimumweight title to Lopez in October 1990 with a fifth-round technical knockout at the hall, and Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym’s head Issei Nakaya jointly planned the event.
Ohashi said, ‘’Undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘the Monster’ Inoue is expected to come see the event. I hope to see Mr. Lopez along with Inoue.’’ Some kind of a talks show between Ohashi and Lopez is also planned.
Lopez, who will turn 58 on July 25, was undefeated in his professional 52 bouts, including 38 knockouts, with one draw. He was also undefeated in his 40 amateur bouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.
In the main event of the evening, eighth-ranked Japanese minimumweight Takeshi Ishii of Ohashi gym will vie for the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation minimumweight title with John Kevin Jimenez of the Philippines.
Top-ranked Japanese minimumweight Katsuki Mori and second-ranked Ryusei Matsumoto of Ohashi gym will have an eight-round preliminary fight for the Japanese minimumweight title, which is likely to be relinquished by Yuni Takada of Lions Boxing Gym, as the chief supporting card.