super flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama will take on fifth-ranked compatriot Kazuhiro Ryuko next spring for his fourth title defense, Tokuyama's chief trainer said Friday. Hideo Kanazawa said the match will take place at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on March 23 after Tokuyama retained his belt with a unanimous decision over Gerry Penalosa of the Philippines in September.
Tokuyama, a third-generation pro-Pyongyang Korean resident of Japan, holds a record of 25 wins, including six knockouts, two losses and one draw. Southpaw Ryuko, the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super flyweight champion, has 13 wins under his belt with four knockouts against one loss and three draws. He will be challenging for a world title for the first time.