World Boxing Association (WBA) Super World Light Flyweight Champion Ryoichi Taguchi (27-2-2, 12KO’s) is set to make the eighth defense of his WBA title against former WBA World Minimumweight Champion Hekkie Budler (31-3, 10KO’s). The fight will take place at Tokyo’s Ota-City General Gymnasium on May 20th.
Taguchi is undefeated in ten fights since losing a decision to Naoya Inoue in “The Monster’s” fourth pro fight in August of 2013. Taguchi convincingly beat Alberto Rossel for the WBA World Light Light Flyweight Title in December of 2014 and has held it ever since, while also gaining “Super Champion” status in his last fight against Milan Melindo this last December.
Budler, on the other hand, successfully held the WBA Minimumweight World Title for two years while defending it four times before losing a decision to Byron Rojas in a very close fight. Since then he is 2-1, losing a close split decision fight to Milan Melindo this last September.
The fight figures to be a very good one between a pressure fighting style in the champion Taguchi and the slick defensive boxer in Budler. Both men are very tough to beat as their losses could mostly swing either way outside of Taguchi’s loss to Inoue, who many see as a pound for pound list fighter.
