The end of the year is always a momentous occasion for boxing fans in Japan as the country usually creates big boxing cards one is taking place on December 30.
Two WBC title fights are taking place on that date at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. One fight is the WBC light flyweight title bout between Ken Shiro and Saul Juarez as well as an interim WBC bantamweight title fight between Takuma Inoue and Petch Sor Chitpattana.
For the second consecutive year, Shiro will defend his title in Japan on December 30. Shiro made a meteoric rise to the top of the light flyweight division, winning the Japanese title in his sixth pro fight in 2015 and then won the WBC world title in his 10th fight back in 2017. Shiro has made four successful title defenses with his last three fights ending in a knockout or stoppage. The 26-year-old Shiro is coming off a seventh-round TKO win over former world champion Milan Melindo back in October.
Juarez, a 27-year-old from Mexico, previously challenged for the WBC minimumweight title in 2016, but lost a unanimous decision to Wanheng Menayothin. Juarez sports a 1-0-1 record in his last two fights after suffering a four-fight losing streak from 2016 to 2017.
As for the interim WBC title fight, the governing body ordered Inoue and Sor Chitpattana to fight for the belt some time ago as the full world title is still vacant, but it wasn't until now that the fight was officially announced. Inoue previously held the OPBF super flyweight title from 2015 to 2016 while Sor Chitpattana sports one of boxing's longest win streaks, winning all 48 of his pro fights.