Duncan Village boxer Yanga ‘Showtime’ Sigqibo has landed in Japan ahead of his fight against former world champion Kosei Tanaka this coming Sunday.
Sigqibo travelled to Japan together with his trainer Thembani ‘Best’ Gopheni and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight champion Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga.
The 28-year-old Sigqibo, who spent more than a month training at the Hot Box Gym in Johannesburg, faces Tanaka at the Takeda Teva Ocean Arena in Nagoya.
“We had a safe trip and we are settling down here in Nagoya. This is where the fight is going to be held on Sunday,” Gopheni said.
Sigqibo, Gopheni and Nontshinga were welcomed in Japan by Hatanaka Promotions boss Kiyoshi Hatanaka, the promoter of Sunday’s fight.
“The promoter welcomed us here and he has made sure that we feel at home. I would say it’s so far, so good,” Gopheni remarked.
Sigqibo has enjoyed a seven-year unbeaten run with his last and only loss coming from a clash against Ayanda Ndulani, the current International Boxing Organisation (IBO) minimumweight champion, in October 2015. Sigqibo has 17 wins (five stoppages), a loss and a draw.
The 27-year-old Tanaka once held the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) minimumweight, junior-flyweight and flyweight titles.
A resident of Nagoya, Tanaka has an impressive professional record having won 17 of his fights with 10 of those ending in stoppages against a single defeat.
Meanwhile, Sigqibo is rated eighth by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and fourth by the WBO. Tanaka is rated fourth by both the WBC and the World Boxing Association (WBA) with the IBF and the WBO rating him in third spot.
