Tokuyama-Penalosa tiff set

WBC super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama retained his title via a sixth round TKO victory over Mexican challenger Erik Lopez in Saitama, Japan, Monday, thereby setting up the much-awaited showdown with No.1 contender Gerry Peñalosa in a mandatory rematch ordered by the WBC.

Both Tokuyama and Peñalosa who is also North American Boxing Federation and WBC International super flyweight champion will enter the ring in Osaka on Nov. 8, coming off impressive victories. Tokuyama over Lopez who was rated No. 12 by the WBC and Peñalosa over a Tokuyama "clone" in stablemate Seiji Tanaka who didn’t come out for the eighth round after taking a hammering from Peñalosa last Aug. 20 at the Blaisdell Center Arena in Honolulu.

Well known Japanese boxing manager, matchmaker and journalist Joe Koizumi called Peñalosa’s manager lawyer Rudy Salud to give him an account of Tokuyama’s fifth successful title defense which included a controversial unanimous decision over the Filipino southpaw on Sept. 24 last year in Yokohama.

According to Koizumi, Tokuyama who won the title with a unanimous decision of South Korea’s In Joo Cho on Aug. 27, 2000, hurt his right hand in the second round but used a stinging left to batter Lopez’ right eye which was swollen and almost shut when referee Frank Cappuccino called a halt in round seven when the champion was landing punches at will.

Tokuyama who was taller and stronger dominated the fight from the start against the smaller challenger who never troubled the champion. With his victory Tokuyama improved his ring record to 27-2-1 with 8 KO’s while the 27-year-old Lopez dropped to 17-12-3 with 13 KO’s.