Iwasa and Tapales is official!
Over the last few weeks we've heard a lot about an IBF "interim" Super Bantamweight title bout between former WBO Bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (33-2, 16) and former IBF Super Bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa (26-3, 16) [岩佐 亮佑]. Today that bout was finally announced at a press conference in Japan.
Iwasa, flanked by managed Celes Kobayashi, announced that terms for the bout had been agreed for December 7th and will take place at the Barclays Center in New York.
The bout had long been rumoured, with December 21st also a date that had been associated with the fight, and has come about due to injuries suffered by IBF and WBA "super" champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10), who was supposed to face unbeaten Uzbek Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6) [Ахмадалиев, Муроджон Кахарович] back in September. There is still no clear indication of when Roman will return, so having this bout made does make sense, even if we aren't huge fans of the "interim" titles.
For Iwasa the bout serves as a chance to move towards reclaiming the title he lose to TJ Doheny in 2018 whilst Tapales will be looking to move towards becoming a 2-weight champion, after a disappointingly short reign as the WBO champion at Bantamweight.
(Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)
Iwasa, flanked by managed Celes Kobayashi, announced that terms for the bout had been agreed for December 7th and will take place at the Barclays Center in New York.
The bout had long been rumoured, with December 21st also a date that had been associated with the fight, and has come about due to injuries suffered by IBF and WBA "super" champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10), who was supposed to face unbeaten Uzbek Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6) [Ахмадалиев, Муроджон Кахарович] back in September. There is still no clear indication of when Roman will return, so having this bout made does make sense, even if we aren't huge fans of the "interim" titles.
For Iwasa the bout serves as a chance to move towards reclaiming the title he lose to TJ Doheny in 2018 whilst Tapales will be looking to move towards becoming a 2-weight champion, after a disappointingly short reign as the WBO champion at Bantamweight.
(Image courtesy of boxmob.jp)