Vincent “Asero” Astrolabio arrived in Japan Sunday confident that he will succeed in dethroning World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight king Junto Nakatani in their 29 July showdown at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Tokyo.
The odds are stacked heavily against Astrolabio, who will be gunning for a second stab at a world championship.
The first time he fought for one, Astrolabio was outpointed by Australian Jason Moloney for the vacant World Boxing Organization throne in May last year in Stockton, California.
This time, Astrolabio is going all-out knowing that he is facing off with a guy who is ranked among the very best in the world regardless of weight.
A three-division world champion, the southpaw Nakatani is unbeaten with a 27-0 record with 20 knockouts and considered Japan’s top fighter next to Naoya “Monster” Inoue.
Currently, the Philippines has one world champion: WBC minimumweight ruler Melvin Jerusalem.
On 28 July, another Filipino puncher — Pedro Taduran — battles Ginjiro Shigeoka for the International Boxing Federation 105-lb jewels at the 5,000-capacity Shiga Daihatsu Arena in Otsu City.