Cristobal, Japanese foe make weight for Tokyo showdown

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Sanman Boxing prospect Ricky Cristobal and unbeaten Japanese fighter Keita Kubotera successfully made weight ahead of their scheduled eight-round non-title bout at the iconic Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, July 31.

Cristobal and Kubotera will square off on the undercard of a Teiken Promotions event headlined by two championship fights. Cristobal weighed in at 129.2 pounds, while Kubotera tipped the scales at 129.6 pounds, both well within the weight limit for their bout slated for Saturday, August 1.

The card features the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super lightweight title clash between Japan’s Hiroki Horiike and South Korea’s Yoon Tak, as well as the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) super lightweight championship bout between Eikichi Kawamura and Mikyo Watarai. Three other undercard bouts complete the event.

The Tokyo bout marks Cristobal’s first fight outside the Philippines. The General Santos City native brings a 7-3 record with four knockouts and enters the contest riding back-to-back stoppage victories over Crisaldy Beltran in 2025 and Ernie Sanchez last April.

Awaiting him is the hard-hitting Kubotera, who has quickly built an impressive 3-0 record, with all three victories coming by knockout. The Japanese prospect shares a common opponent with Cristobal after stopping Beltran in April in Tokyo, making the Filipino the first boxer from the Philippines to be knocked out by Kubotera. Kubotera also dispatched South Koreans Seung Woo Yang and Yong Ho Sim via knockout in his first two professional outings.

Sanman Boxing has continued to expand its international presence in recent months. The General Santos-based stable recently celebrated Sem Japet Enano’s seventh-round technical knockout victory over Australian Tyler Blizzard in Queensland last July. It also strengthened its roster by signing Cebuano amateur standout and Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Mark Ashley Fajardo to begin his professional career.

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