Shigeoka brothers to defend belts together

By Joe Koizumi

The unbeaten Shigeoka brothers will make their second defenses on the same bill in Nagoya, Japan, on March 31. WBC minimum champ Yudai Shigeoka (8-0, 5 KOs), 26, will risk his belt against Filipino ex-titlist Melvin Jerusalem (21-3, 12 KOs). Also, IBF 105-pound ruler Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0-1NC, 8 KOs), 24, will put his belt on the line against Filipino puncher ArAr Andales (14-2-3, 6 KOs).

Jerusalem dethroned Shigeoka’s senior stablemate WBO champ Masataka Taniguchi with a single shot in round two a year ago, but the Filipino forfeited his belt to Oscar Collazo via TKO route (recorded as a KO due to the Californian rule) last May. For Yudai, it will be a good opportunity to avenge Taniguchi’s shocker.

Another Filipino challenger Andales previously fought here twice, both ending in a technical draw with Tsubasa Koura and Wilfredo Mendez due to a headbutt. Ginjiro, however, said, “I’ll take care of any head collision, before which I’ll sink Andales.” Shigeoka brothers are both short but hard-punching southpaws.

The headliner of this event will be a rematch between ex-champ Tomoki Kameda (40-4, 22 KOs) and South African Lerato Dlamini (20-2, 11 KOs) over twelve. Tomoki had dropped a hairline split decision to Dlamini after twelve sizzling rounds of the IBF eliminator last October.

Also, there will be four more bouts of Matchroom’s middleweight tournaments on the undercard.

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