Daigo Higa Aiming To Conquer a World Title in a Second Weight Class

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daigo Higa Aiming To Conquer a World Title in a Second Weight Class

Hard-hitting former WBC flyweight world champion Daigo Higa is totally back in boxing, wanting a world title in a second weight class, and he is sweating hard to get back in great shape.

Higa was the unbeaten, sizzling WBC 112-pound world champion till getting shockingly stopped and dethroned in 9 rounds by Nicaraguan Crístofer Rosales (31-5, 21 KO’s) in 2018 in Yokohama.

It was supposed to be another thrilling knockout win in a big Teiken Promotions evening for super slugger Higa. But it was not destined to be.

Following that rough night, the disappointed Okinawa-native did not fight for about 2 years.

But earlier in this 2020, he returned, despite the pandemic.

However, according to coach Joji Nogi, during the past few months Higa has been training in open air, mainly in parks in Yokohama City.

The 25-year-old has been avoiding practicing in the gym as much as possible because of the COVID-19.

In addition to getting awesome physical training surrounded by nature, training in parks has also given Higa a renewed feeling about boxing.

Higa (16-1, 16 KO’s) trains doing the mitts and sharpens his already excellent boxing skills by doing an average of eight rounds every day.

Coach Nogi is sure that Higa has his mind 100% back in boxing.

"He is pretty much back."

Yes indeed. In February, Higa smashed unheralded Filipino Jason Buenaobra (7-5-3, 3 KO’s) in six chapters, and a new sense of empowerment fills his spirit.

His next opponent will be unbeaten 24-year-old Seiya Tsutsumi (5-0-1, 4 KO’s) of Kumamoto, and the fight takes place on Monday, October 26, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

The 10-round main event battle will be promoted by Yukio Sebata of Dangan Aoki Promotions.

And Higa hopes to be punching again in December.

The hard-swinging slugger most definitely wants a second world title, and is working hard for it.

[Rgoodwin]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

No idea.

[Boxing Prospect]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

No.

He's not permitted to fight below Bantamweight.

[Rgoodwin]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

No.

He's not permitted to fight below Bantamweight.

They can control what weights fighters can fight at in Japan?

[Boxing Prospect]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

No.

He's not permitted to fight below Bantamweight.

They can control what weights fighters can fight at in Japan?

Pretty much, the JBC actually enforce rules and stuff. They have relicensed him on the condition he fights no lower than Bantam

[margaret thatcher]

Damn Daigo, what happened man, drew with a 5-0-1 guy (though tbf i know little of that guy's quality)

[bobcatbox]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

No.

He's not permitted to fight below Bantamweight.

If he’s campaigning at 118 is a clash with Inoue imminent?

[Boxing Prospect]

Will he now be fighting at super flyweight?

No.

He's not permitted to fight below Bantamweight.

If he’s campaigning at 118 is a clash with Inoue imminent?

He had spoke about that being something possible down the line

[Boxing Prospect]

Damn Daigo, what happened man, drew with a 5-0-1 guy (though tbf i know little of that guy's quality)

Bout won't be aired until mid November, so anyone outside of Japan saying they've SEEN it is telling fibs (unless a full fan came version has leaked) HOWEVER. Tautsumi had twice beaten Higa in the amateurs, should have been 6-0 (he was robbed blind vs Nakajima), was naturally bigger and knew Higa better than almost anyone else in the sport (the two are rather good friends)... And that's ignoring the fact Tautsumi is a damn good fighter himself.

A tough result for Higa, especially with fans unaware of Tautsumi, a surprise for those who followed Tsutsumi, but far from a WTF result.

Would advise folk to give Tsutsumi a watch, a good puncher, who has shown he can box (vs Nakajima), brawl (vs Inamoto ) and punch (vs the tough Ponteras - though this isn't available to watch anywhere)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daigo Higa joins Kazuto Ioka-Kosei Tanaka NYE card

Former flyweight champion Daigo Higa will continue his attempted rise through the bantamweight ranks on New Year’s Eve, taking on countryman Yuki Strong Kobayashi as part of the Kazuto Ioka-Kosei Tanaka card in Tokyo.

Higa (16-1-1, 16 KO) knocked out Juan Hernandez Navarette for the WBC flyweight title at the age of 22, then dispatched Thomas Masson and Moises Fuentes before coming in two pounds heavy for a planned defense against Cristofer Rosales, who beat the drained former champion into submission. The Japanese Boxing Commission suspended Higa for more than a year, only allowing him back in 2019 with the stipulation that he compete no lower than bantamweight “at least in the immediate future.”

He successfully smashed Filipino victim Jason Buenaobra in February, but struggled his way to a draw against Seiya Tsutsumi in October. It’s looking like he may want to petition the JBC for clearance to fight at 115.

Kobayashi (16-8, 9 KO) is much better than his record would suggest, sitting at 6-1 since a rough professional start. That one came in narrow fashion to another better-than-his-record countryman in Keita Kurihara, who’s now ranked 4th by the IBF and will defend his OPBF title against Takuma Inoue early next year.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lost via UD today to Ryosuke Nishida

Kunihiro Iwasaki 111-117 | Katsuji Tomori 110-118 | Satoshi Toyama 111-117

[Boxing Prospect]

Got schooled by Nishida tbh, the size and natural boxing ability between the two was huge

[margaret thatcher]

man he has plummeted hasnt he

he used to look like a beast with a huge future

tbf, still won a world title and defended it a few times, but damn now he's struggling to win even vs domestic level 3-0 and 5-0 dudes

[Boxing Prospect]

man he has plummeted hasnt he

he used to look like a beast with a huge future

tbf, still won a world title and defended it a few times, but damn now he's struggling to win even vs domestic level 3-0 and 5-0 dudes

Tbf the 5-0-1 guy beat him a few times in the amateurs and the 3-0 guy was a fighting at Super Bantamweight just a few months ago... And if anywhere is known for fast tracked prospects it's Japan...

Since his forced move to 118lbs he's not been the force he was at 112 that's for sure, but the guys he has struggled with aren't your typical domestic novices

[Boxing Prospect]