Pedro Taduran pulled off what other Filipino fighters could not do against their Japanese counterparts, stopping heavily favored and erstwhile defending champion Ginjiro Shigeoka to wrest the International Boxing Federation minimumweight title on Sunday, July 28 at the Shiga Daihatsu Arena in Otsu City, Japan.

Just a week after Vincent Astrolabio followed the likes of Jerwin Ancajas, Marlon Tapales and Jonas Sultan in succumbing to the wicked body shots of their Japanese counterparts, Taduran made the opposite and unleashed a flurry of punches in the ninth round, enough to convince referee Steve Willis to stop the fight with 10 seconds left in the frame.

With the win, Taduran joined fellow minimumweight weight and World Boxing Council title holder Melvin Jerusalem as the country’s only current champions.

Interestingly, Jerusalem’s belt also came after he defeated Ginjiro’s brother, Yudai last March.

The 27-year-old pride of Libon, Albay improved his record to 17 wins, four losses and a draw with 13 knockouts while handing Shigeoka his first taste of defeat through 12 bouts.

Taduran, a heavy underdog heading into the title bout, is now a two-time world champion after reclaiming the IBF strap which he first won against Samuel Salva in 2019.

Taduran was methodical and precise early in the contest, landing big hits straight to the face of the Japanese defending champion. At the receiving end of the Filipinos heavy fists, Shigeoka sustained a damage on his right eye to which Taduran made sure to take advantage of in the ensuing rounds.

By the seventh round, the punishment was already visible on the face of Shigeoka, whose nose was bloodied and his right eye swollen shut.

The Japanese champion refused to go down, however, and would occasionally throw haymakers, some would catch Taduran off guard. 

But that only delayed the inevitable as Taduran caught Shigeoka on the ropes late in the ninth round and mercilessly showered the champion with heavy hits to finally end the fight.