The IBF World Minimumweight title match took place on May 24 at Intex Osaka, where reigning champion Pedro Taduran of the Philippines (17 wins, 13 KOs, 4 losses, 1 draw) faced off in a revenge bout against former champion and current No. 4 contender in the division, Ginjiro Shigeoka of the Watanabe Gym (11 wins, 9 KOs, 1 loss, 1 no contest).
On July 28 of last year, at the Shiga Daihatsu Arena in Ōtsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Pedro Taduran captured the IBF World Minimumweight title by defeating Ginjiro Shigeoka via TKO at 2:50 of the ninth round. Taduran was then scheduled to make his first title defense on November 23 on Jeju Island, South Korea, against the division’s No. 3 contender (with the No. 1 and 2 spots vacant), Xu Tenxin of China (14 wins, 12 KOs, 1 loss). However, he canceled the bout in hopes of a unification fight with WBA & WBO World Minimumweight Champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico (12 wins, 9 KOs, undefeated).
Although Team Collazo also expressed interest in the unification bout and expectations were high for it to materialize, the plan fell through when Collazo took time off for his wedding. Taduran then shifted his focus to a title defense against Alal Andales of the Philippines (16 wins, 6 KOs, 2 losses, 3 draws), who is ranked No. 14 by the IBF in the light flyweight division. However, negotiations did not come to fruition, and Taduran ultimately turned to a rematch with Shigeoka.
For Shigeoka, who had already committed to participating in a title eliminator, this unexpected opportunity was a dream come true. He entered the ring with strong determination and unwavering resolve to reclaim the championship.
In the opening round, Shigeoka used his footwork to stay mobile and threw jabs.
Taduran applied pressure while throwing jabs, steadily closing the distance.
Shigeoka landed a sharp left straight to the body, but Taduran pressed forward unfazed, slamming a powerful left over Shigeoka’s shoulder.
At the same-day weigh-in held at 8 a.m. under IBF rules, Taduran exceeded the limit of 52.16 kg by 240 grams. In a second attempt 30 minutes later, he was still 140 grams over. However, after an additional 40 minutes, he finally made the weight. Although there were concerns about how this might affect his performance, he started the fight at a high pace from the very beginning.
His left uppercuts at close range were heavy and relentless.
Shigeoka moved well and landed a counter left straight.
Taduran pressed forward undeterred by the shots he was taking, pushing Shigeoka back.
Shigeoka’s left landed cleanly on Taduran, but the champion immediately fired back.
Shigeoka kept moving, throwing jabs and landing counter left straights.
Taduran never stopped, driving in heavy left hands.
Shigeoka’s punches landed as well, but Taduran simply wouldn’t stop. Showing no signs of running out of gas, he kept coming forward with heavy-looking left hands.
Just like in their first fight, Shigeoka fought hard despite swelling under his right eye. He used a hit-and-run strategy to go toe-to-toe with the powerful Taduran, but the champion’s relentless pressure never let up.
The intense back-and-forth between the two continued into the final rounds.
In any case, Taduran’s left hand carried serious power.
In the final round, Shigeoka moved nimbly on his feet, hitting and then pulling away. Then came the sound of the final bell.
Referee Charlie Fitch (USA) raised Taduran’s right hand.
The official scores were a split decision: Gil Co (Philippines) scored it 115–113 for Taduran, Katsuhiko Nakamura (Japan) had it 118–110 for Taduran, and Dave Braslow (USA) scored it 115–113 for Shigeoka. While Shigeoka moved well and landed clean shots, he didn’t give the impression of controlling the fight. Considering Taduran’s relentless aggression and damaging blows, even a wide score like 118–110 can be justified.
After hearing the decision, Shigeoka appeared to lose strength and slumped in his corner. He was carried out on a stretcher, seemingly unconscious, raising concerns about his condition.
Taduran, who admitted to having taken damage from Shigeoka’s body shots but still pushed through to secure the victory, received a hero’s welcome upon returning to the Philippines. However, he expressed concern for Shigeoka’s condition. Many fans and boxing officials both in the Philippines and around the world are also voicing their hopes for Shigeoka’s safe recovery.
Shigeoka’s condition has not yet been made public, but all we can do is hope for his safety and well-being!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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