Anthony Olascuaga won title in eight fights; keeping it is the hard part
Anthony Olascuaga won the WBO flyweight title in his eighth fight.
As far as head trainer Rudy Hernandez was concerned, that was the easy part.
“Getting there is easy,” Hernandez told Boxin gScene. “Staying there is even harder.”
Olascuaga, 11-1 (8 KOs), will look to make his fifth title defense against Jukiya Iimura on Sunday at the Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan.
His quick rise to the title isn’t that surprising, given his standout amateur credentials. As a pro, he took on unified 108lbs champion Kenshiro Teraji after just five pro fights and on less than two weeks’ notice.
Despite being stopped in the ninth round, he never gave up on his title quest. Two fights later and one division north at flyweight, Olascauga claimed the WBO 112lbs strap. At the weight, he has won all but one fight by knockout.
Despite such achievements, Olascuaga, a 27-year-old from Los Angeles, hasn’t stopped working hard for what is next.
“Not everything is forever,” Hernandez said. “I tell him to make sure you give it your best, because whatever you do wrong, you will pay a price for it in the ring.”
It is not easy to become a titleholder, but every time you become a titleholder, every up-and-coming contender wants what you have.
Last March, Olascuaga won a close and somewhat controversial unanimous decision over former two-division titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi. He followed that performance with two knockout wins, with his last being a stoppage of Taku Kuwahara in December.
It was a reminder of how fleeting a championship run can be. It is also why Hernandez talks about not just prepping for their upcoming opponent, but also training to be ready for anything that could happen.
Olascuaga’s camp took place in Los Angeles, before his team headed out to Japan a week and a half before the fight, to finish up camp.
“In the last three weeks, I have seen changes in Tony,” Hernandez said. “He is a little bit more mature, he is settled down, and a little bit more effective at what he is doing.”
The flyweight division is in a new era. Olascuaga has cemented himself as a solid titleholder, while power-puncher Masamichi Yabuki holds the IBF title, and Ricardo Sandoval holds the WBO and WBA titles. Hernandez remarks that Olascuaga was born as an athlete, but didn’t have the size to play traditional U.S. based sports. Iimura, 9-1 (2 KOs), is a 28-year-old from Tokyo, Japan, riding a six-fight win streak. In his last fight, he avenged his only career loss to Esneth Domingo.
“He is the most dangerous guy right now,” Hernandez said. “It seems like everybody who fights for a world title is better that night.”
