The World Boxing Super Series is heading to Japan for its bantamweight tournament and will feature a couple of big fights.
In a recent press conference, it was announced that a WBSS bantamweight first round fight will take place at the Yokohama Arena on October 7. That fight will be WBA “regular” champion Naoya Inoue facing Juan Carlos Payano in the main event.
The fight is the only one announced in the second season of the World Boxing Super Series among the three weight classes (bantamweight, junior welterweight and cruiserweight). Inoue, the No. 2 seed in the 118-pound tournament, will be making his first bantamweight title defense after winning the belt off of Jamie McDonnell back in May.
In a separate announcement, the other big fight confirmed for the card is Japanese star and WBC light flyweight champion Ken Shiro defending his title against former champion Milan Melindo. Shiro will be defending his title for the fourth time since winning the belt last year.
Melindo, a former IBF light flyweight champion, has not fought since losing a unification fight against then-WBA champion Ryoichi Taguchi on the traditional New Year’s boxing card in Japan. By the time Melindo steps into the ring against Shiro, it would have been nearly 13 months since Melindo’s last victory, a Fightful Boxing Fight of the Year candidate against Hekkie Budler.
For fans in the United States, they will at least get to watch the fight between Inoue and Payano on the DAZN platform, set to launch in the United States on September 10.
