Kazuto Ioka did what was necessary to keep alive his time-honored tradition of a title fight on New Year’s Eve.
Now is the part where he continues to add to his legacy.
A seventh-round knockout of Venezuela’s Josber Perez was the alternate plan come to life after Ioka (31-2-1, 16KOs) was unable to reach terms for a unification bout versus lineal/WBC champ Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28KOs). That hardly means, though, that he has given up on his dream to achieve unified championship status in a second weight division.
“I still want to fight in a unification, win and prove i am the best at this weight,” Ioka told BoxingScene.com.
Once upon a time, Ioka established himself as the best strawweight in the world. No doubt was left after his June 2012 decision win over countryman Akira Yaegashi. Ioka defended his WBC title and picked up the WBA belt in the first ever unification bout between reigning titlists from Japan.
Ioka has since won major titles at junior flyweight, flyweight and twice at junior bantamweight. He attempted to unify the WBO and WBA 115 pound titles versus Joshua Franco, only for their New Year’s Eve 2022 clash to end in a majority decision draw.
The two met in a rematch won by Ioka last June 24, though he was already relieved of the WBO title by that point. He picked up Franco’s WBA belt, which he defended for the first time in his win over Perez.
In his sights now are Estrada, IBF titlist Fernando Martinez and perhaps a rematch with countryman Kosei Tanaka should he win the vacant WBO title in February.
“I am willing to fight whoever it takes to prove I’m the best,” insisted Ioka.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox