TOKYO — Accidents do happen inside the boxing ring, but Rodel Mayol of the Philippines may no longer need one to succeed in his quest for a world crown tomorrow night at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
All that would be required of the unbeaten 24-year-old punching marvel from Mandaue City is for him to surpass himself.
That should be routine when Mayol goes for the World Boxing Council minimumweight crown of Eagle Kyowa, with tall odds favoring the champion, a Thai by the name of Del Jalapan masquerading as a Japanese.
Kyowa (15-1 with 6 KOs) suffered an accident when he dislocated a shoulder that reportedly required an operation to correct and for him to regain his world 105-lbs title later.
However, with his unblemished 22-0 (17 KOs) record, Mayol cannot be considered an accident waiting to happen to the champion.
Mayol has the necessary skills and power to wrest the world crown, says Games and Amusements Board boxing division chief Noli Flores.
“We saw Kyowa fight, we supervised one of his title defenses in Japan, and I can say Mayol has a fair chance of winning,” Flores explains.
There’s been no drastic change in the odds that would pay $300 for a $100 bet on Mayol, while a $400 on Kyowa would give back only $100.
Mayol’s Japanese manager, Yasuo Matsuoka, has told international boxing judge Salven Lagumbay his fighter has not been experiencing any trouble with the weight scales whatsoever.
The official weigh-in is scheduled today.
Defending Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) bantam champion Malcolm Tu?acao of the Philippines clashes with challenger Yasuo Kijima of Japan in the undercard.
The bout will be covered by Solar Sports.
Mayol, in Tokyo for over a week now, has the advantage due to his early arrival to study Kyowa’s style, which he availed of through videos and pointers from Japanese friends.
Mayol gained the right to challenge for Kyowa’s crown after he stopped Mexican Lorenzo Trejo in the eliminator in Cancun, Mexico, last January.
