ERIBERTO ?Ioka? Gejon, one of Cebu?s promising fighters will complete the final phase of his training regimen for his second title shot in Japan.
Gejon, together with his trainer Brix Flores, will leave for Manila at 5 a.m. to complete his papers with the Japanese Embassy. They will leave for Tokyo on Thursday to complete the preparation of the 27-year-old fighter?s quest to dethrone WBA minimum weight champion Yutaka Niida of Japan.
They will be training at the Shakujii Sports Boxing Gym owned by Kikuji Okuda in Tokyo.
?Aside from acclimatizing, we also wanted Ioka to have better sparring sessions in Japan and Mr. Okuda promised to help us find some good sparring partners, including (WBC 105-pound champion) Eagle Kyowa, whom he used to manage,? Flores told Sun.Star Cebu.
Kyowa was the one who stopped another Cebuano, Rodel Mayol, in his title defense last year.
Gejon will challenge Niida for the second time on Sept. 1 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Better
In his first attempt to beat the Japanese champion, Gejon was not perfectly in condition as lacked the power to deliver the stronger punches. which resulted to his loss by split decision after the fight was stopped in the 10th round due to a cut on Gejon?s eye.
The cut on this right eye pulled short the contest and Niida was declared winner by technical decision.
?I have completed 90 rounds of sparring and I expect to have more sparring sessions in Japan. We will be in the final stages of our preparation and I hope to be in tip-top condition once we?re there,? Gejon said in a separate interview.
3 for 6
Gejon (23-1-1, 14KOs) is the seventh Filipino fighter seeking to win the world title for the country this year alone.
The Philippines now has three world champions?minimum weight Florante Condes (IBF), flyweight Nonito Donaire Jr. (IBF) and bantamweight Gerry Pe?alosa (WBO).
Three campaigners also lost the bid for the title?Czar Amonsot (WBO lightweight Interim), Rodel Mayol (IBF light flyweight) and Rey ?Boom-Boom? Bautista (WBO super bantamweight).
?I just pray I could deliver the world title. I am better prepared this time,? Gejon said. (RCM)
