The winner of Daniel Valladares-Ginjiro Shigeoka rematch will have to act fast to avoid having to fall into a mandatory title defense.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the IBF has ordered a strawweight title eliminator between Jake Amparo and former titlist Pedro Taduran. The pair of Fliipino contenders were given a 15-day period from September 11 to reach terms for the right to become the number-one challenger to the title currently held by Valladares.
“Be advised that # 3 rated, Jake Amparo and # 4 rated Pedro Taduran are the 2 highest ranked available contenders in the IBF Mini Flyweight division and have indicated in writing a willingness to participate in the IBF Mini Flyweight Eliminator for # 1,” “In an effort to determine who the mandatory challenger will be, the IBF is ordering the Mini Flyweight Eliminator for # 1 between Jake Amparo and Pedro Taduran.
“The winner will be the mandatory challenger for the Mini Flyweight Championship title. Negotiations should be concluded by September 26, 2023.”
Amparo is represented in talks by Edito Villamor, while Taduran is promoted by Cucuy Elorde.
Manila’s Taduran (15-4-1, 12KOs) has fought just once since back-to-back defeats to countryman Rene Mark Cuarto to end his 17-month IBF strawweight title reign. He won the vacant belt in a September 2019 fourth-round stoppage of unbeaten Samuel Salva.
His lone successful defense came in a technical draw versus Valladares in their February 2020 title fight in Guadalupe, Mexico. A clash of heads in the first round left Valladares cut and unable to continue at the end of the fourth round upon the advice of the ringside physician.
Taduran’s lone win since then was a January 30 stoppage of sub .500 opponent Powell Balab in Paranaque City.
Amparo (14-4-1, 3KOs) will aim to bid for his first major title with a win in the ordered eliminator.
The 26-year-old from Bohol has won three in a row since a split decision defeat to unbeaten Huu Toan Le last November 30 on the road in Bangkok. He came up big away from his native Philippines in his most recent outing, a twelve-round, unanimous decision over then-unbeaten Goki Kobayashi on August 5 in Kobe, Japan.
Monterrey’s Valladares (26-3-1, 15KOs; 1ND) and Shigeoka (9-0, 7KOs; 1ND) meet In a title consolidation bout on October 7 in Tokyo. Their January 6 clash ended in a No-Decision inside of three rounds, with Valladares injured from an earlier clash of heads and unable to continue. He will attempt the second defense of the IBF title he won from Cuarto last July in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico.
Shigeoka was permitted to fight Cuarto for the interim IBF strawweight title once it was learned that Valladares was not able to return in time to honor his mandatory title defense. The 23-year-old Japanese southpaw overcame an opening round knockdown to drop Cuarto three times in a ninth-round stoppage.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox