ERIBERTO “Ioka” Gejon is on his way to the big time.
But standing in his way to the pedestal tonight at the Arena in Yokohama is Japanese Yutaka Niida. At stake is Niida’s WBA minimumweight title, scheduled for 12 rounds.
With Manny Pacquiao rooting at the ringside, the 26-year-old Gejon is hoping to give the Philippines another world title after Fil-Am Brian Viloria won the WBC light-flyweight title last Sept. 11.
Gejon and his trainer Brix Flores left Cebu for Japan last Sunday, joining manager Rex “Wakee” Salud, Pacquiao, former Cebu City councilor George Rama in Japan.
“Gejon is all settled now. He is very relaxed and very confident, just like my former world champions going into their world title fight,” Salud told Sun.Star Cebu.
Gejon is undefeated in 22 fights with, 13 of his 21 wins were by KO, and a lone draw..
In his second fight abroad, Gejon won by technical decision over Panamanian Carlos Melo in Caracas, Venezuela but not after suffering a deep cut after the fourth round.
This Japan sortie is only his third fight abroad and his handlers are hoping he won’t get cut again.
The shorter Niida holds an 18-1-3 win-loss-draw record with eight KO wins. He won the WBA title over Cebuano Joma Gamboa on December 2002, but let it go shortly after retiring. His first attempt to reclaim the title suffered a setback when he lost to Noel Arambulet by decision, but later took the title over Arambulet when the Venezuelan failed to make the weight.
