The most interesting fight of the upcoming weekend, considering the value of the boxers involved, the stakes, and the expected balance in the ring, will be the unification of the IBF and WBA super flyweight titles between Japanese Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs) and Argentine Fernando Daniel “Pumita” Martinez (16-0-0, 9 KOs). The two will face off on Sunday at the Kokugikan in Tokyo, with the ring walk scheduled for 2:00 PM Italian time.
Kazuto Ioka: A Living Manual of Boxing Technique
If boxing were only about technical skills, Kazuto Ioka would be one of the greatest champions of all time. The Japanese boxer does practically everything as prescribed by the best manuals: his guard is composed and solid, his movements are made without ever losing balance, and his punches follow the correct internal trajectories. Every action Ioka takes in the ring would make even the most demanding trainer proud due to the skill with which it is executed, and the excellent record he has built so far is the rightful reward for such acclaimed abilities. The reason Ioka’s name is not placed by experts alongside other great contemporary Japanese boxers like Naoya Inoue or Junto Nakatani is simply because his physical attributes, while certainly good, do not reach the excellence of his technical skills. In terms of reactivity, rhythm, speed of execution, and brute force, Ioka is a step below the elite of this sport. This has sometimes led him to struggle against less talented opponents who are skilled at making the fight chaotic and physically exhausting, as happened a year and a half ago in his first encounter with Joshua Franco.
Fernando Martinez: The Unleashed Fury from Nowhere
When Fernando Martinez stepped into the ring at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas in February 2022 to face the renowned Filipino champion Jerwin Ancajas, he was a perfect unknown to many, destined to be the sacrificial lamb. Instead, “Pumita” left the whole world speechless by dominating the highly rated rival and forcefully taking the IBF world title. Distinguished by a very compact physique, with only 5’2″ in height, Martinez does not make technique and elegance his strengths. His punches are awkward and imperfect, his stance is rough and basic, yet in the ring, the Argentine is an authentic unleashed fury, extremely difficult to contain. The two key elements of his repertoire are the extreme reactivity of his legs and arms and the pace he sets in fights. For every significant punch that Ancajas managed to land in the two fights he lost to Martinez, he would see four or five coming in quick succession, ending up literally suffocated by the rival’s relentless action. More recently, another Filipino, Jade Bornea, whom Italian fans remember with sadness for the brutal KO inflicted on Mohammed Obbadi, managed to keep the fight balanced for seven rounds against Martinez but did so at the cost of an inhuman expenditure of energy, eventually collapsing.
What Will Happen? Boxe Punch’s Prediction!
When two boxers with such diametrically opposed strengths as Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez face off, it becomes absolutely crucial and often decisive to conduct the fight on one’s preferred terms, forcing the opponent to struggle like a fish out of water. Considering the characteristics of the protagonists, it is evident that Ioka has every advantage in keeping the pace slow: being certainly superior in the use of direct punches and long-distance boxing, the Japanese boxer would have an easy time in a pure technical confrontation without breathtaking exchanges. However, to impose such a scenario on the Argentine athlete, you would have to shoot him… There is no doubt that Martinez will try in every way to corner the rival, get in contact with him, and unleash his deadly two-handed combinations, perhaps unorthodox but certainly effective. Consequently, Ioka, to keep the opponent at bay, will have to fight an extremely exhausting fight, moving a lot on his legs and putting considerable power into his punches to make it dangerous and unappealing for Martinez to close the distance. Given that the Japanese boxer is far more experienced and equipped than the unfortunate Bornea, it is possible that for a certain number of rounds he will succeed and reach the last third of the fight ahead on the scorecards. At that point, however, Martinez’s greater athletic freshness, being two years younger and with far fewer fights under his belt, could make the final part of the challenge hellish for the home idol. Always characterized by lion-hearted courage, Ioka, if forced, will not back down from engaging in battle and responding punch for punch. The feeling of the writer, however, is that Martinez’s greater propensity for close combat, combined with his athletic vigor, will allow him to be the protagonist of a strong finish, enough to convince at least a couple of the judges to rule in his favor. Therefore, I predict a victory for Fernando Daniel Martinez by Split Decision.