It’s going to be a hard climb to the top for Pedro Taduran, who challenges an undefeated Japanese knockout artist for the International Boxing Federation minimumweight crown on 28 July in Otsu City.

While he enters the scheduled 12-rounder the heavy underdog, Taduran swears he is not traveling for sight-seeing purposes.

But the odds are stacked heavily against him given the hostile environment and defending champion Ginjiro Shigeoka’s awesome reputation.

“I am ready,” Taduran declared on Monday after working out at the Elorde Sports Complex, the site of his training camp since Day One.

The Bicol native revealed that his weight is in check and that he is slated to spar one last time before heading to Shigeoka’s territory for a stab at stardom.

Shigeoka parades an 11-0 win-loss card with nine knockouts while Taduran totes a 16-4-1 mark with 12 knockouts.

Taduran and his team leave for Japan on 23 July confident that they would all return holding Shigeoka’s head.

Around a week before Taduran gets his chance, Vincent Astrolabio vies for the World Boxing Council bantamweight title of Junto Nakatani this Saturday in Tokyo.