Sigqibo’s frame worries Japanese

Duncan Village boxer looks big for junior-bantamweight division, says Tanaka’s promoter

Yanga Siqgibo’s lofty rating by the WBO was the reason Kosei Tanaka’s camp reached out to him for a fight in Nagoya on Sunday.

This was revealed by Tanaka’s promoter, Kiyoshi Hatanaka, in an exclusive interview from Japan.

Duncan Village boxer Sigqibo is already in Japan with trainer Thembani Gopheni and IBF junior-flyweight champion Sive Nontshinga, and has already acclimatised for Sunday’s big bout.

Hatanaka, who will promote the fight, shared his thoughts about the decision to settle for Sigqibo as Tanaka bids to win a fourth world title in as many divisions.

Hatanaka, a former WBC junior-featherweight champion, said Sigqibo’s fight record and that he was rated highly by the WBO had been the deciding factors to go for him.

“Yanga is a good boxer and we think he will give Kosei a good fight,” he said.

Hatanaka said the goal was for Tanaka to get a rematch against compatriot Kazuto Ioka, who inflicted his first and only loss when he stopped him in eight rounds in a WBO junior-bantamweight title challenge in December 2021.

The 27-year-old, who began his world title reign at miniflyweight when he was only 20 after transitioning from karate, was heavily favoured to add his fourth world belt in as many divisions.

However, Ioka proved superior in every facet before rocking him with big blows, forcing the referee to stop the fight with Tanaka on his feet.

The whirlwind-punching Japanese economics university graduate has since rebounded with two wins and is looking to make Sigqibo his third victim as he pursues a rematch against Ioka, who will unify his crown with WBA champion Joshua Franco in Tokyo on December 31.

“Yes, we want to fight the winner between Ioka and Franco and a win over Yanga will help us achieve that goal,” Hatanaka said.

However, the Japanese were concerned about Sigqibo’s big frame, wondering if he was indeed a junior-bantamweight boxer. Hatanaka said they were anxious about the weigh-in on Saturday to see if Sigqibo would be able to make the weight.

“We want to check Yanga’s weight soon because he looks big for this division,” he said.

Gopheni, who helped facilitate the interview, laughed off the Japanese’s weight concern, saying it underlined their wariness about fighting Sigqibo.

“Since we got here, they have been asking us about the weight and I am not surprised they also mentioned it to you,” he said.

“Yanga is aware of their concern and this is giving him more motivation because he knows that their confidence is shaken.”

Sigqibo, who is a year older than Tanaka, has also lost once in 19 bouts.*

We want to check Yanga ’ s weight soon because he looks big for this division