Ginjiro Shigeoka to face Jake Amporo on March 31st!

Earlier this week we reported that the scheduled planned IBF Minimumweight title fight between Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0-0-1, 8) [重岡銀次朗] and Filipino challenger ArAr Andales (14-2-3, 6), set for March 31st, had been cancelled, as Andales was pulled from the bout on health grounds. At the time there were rumours of either Shigeoka's bout being cancelled, which would have been yet another hit to a card decimated by cancellations, pull outs and other issues, or of promoter Koki Kameda getting a late replacement for Andales.
 
Today Kameda announced that he had indeed managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat, and secure a quality late replacement for Shigeoka, who will be defending his IBF title against Jake Amparo (14-5-1, 3).
 
Amporo comes into the bout highly ranked by the IBF, in fact he's better ranked than Andales with a #6 placing whilst Andales was #9, and will also feel comfortable fighting in Japan, following an upset win last August against Goki Kobayashi for the WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight title. Though notably he did lose last time out, suffering a wide decision loss to to former IBF world champion Pedro Taduran.
 
Whilst it is, on paper, a downgrade from a bout with Andales, it's still a very, very good match up on very late notice, and credit goes to both Kameda, Shigeoka and Amporo for getting things sorted in such a short amount of time.
 
Sadly what was meant to be a massive show for 3150 Fight, and Matchroom, has been ripped apart with Andales illness, the collapse of the planned Prize Fighter tournament and Lerato Dlamini (20-2, 11) pulling out of a rematch with Tomoki Kameda (40-4, 22) [亀田和毅], though all credit. Though all credit to those who have managed to keep the show on, and make it still look like a pretty interesting event, despite it seemingly being a cursed show.