Shinsuke Yamanaka has an intriguing nickname, "God's Left," given to him because of the devastating blows he delivers with his left hand, which everyone, including upcoming opponent Carlos Carlson, surely recognizes as his signature weapon.
But the unbeaten WBC bantamweight champion's left might be even better and fiercer than in his previous bouts. He intends to finish the Mexican with it on March 2 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sporting mecca that usually hosts sumo.
"I feel as good with my conditioning as I did for my past few fights, and we've worked out our game plan against my opponent this time," Yamanaka (26-0-2, 18 KOs) said at his Thursday workout, which was open to the media, at Tokyo's Teiken Gym. "Now I only need to drop my weight a little more, but I've tuned up well."
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