WBA #4 Masuda, Olascuaga Look Sharp In Public Workout

By Joe Koizumi

Photos by Naoki Fukuda

A public workout was held on Tuesday at Teiken Gym, the house of champions in Tokyo, Japan. WBA #4 bantam contender Riku Masuda (9-1, 8 KOs; amateur 52-14) will face formerly multi-division champ “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire (43-9, 28 KOs), 43, in a WBA eliminator for #1 in Yokohama on March 15. Masuda, 28, whose sole loss was inflicted by current WBA ruler Seiya Tsutsumi two years ago, strongly wishes to seize the right to make a mandatory title shot at the grudge rival Tsutsumi. Donaire may be an old soldier but he can still punch with his trademark left hook, while Masuda is also a one-punch finisher with a devastating southpaw left. It will be a very interesting matchup.

Also, WBO flyweight champ Anthony Olascuaga (11-1, 8 KOs), US, will make his fifth defense against former OPBF titlist Jukiya Iimura (9-1, 2 KOs; amateur 68-13) on the same bill. Olascuaga, in his seventh appearance here in Japan, looks forward to a near-future unification bout under Teiken Promotions with which he has made a promotional agreement for years. Iimura is a fleet-footed speedster whose footwork may frustrate the hard-hitting champ Anthony.

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