Tuñacao gets second crack at world title

Former WBC flyweight champion Malcolm Tuñacao of Mandaue City will get his second crack at a world title after 12 years of waiting when he faces WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka of Japan in Kokugikan, Tokyo on Apr. 8.

Tuñacao won the WBC flyweight title Medgoen Singsurat of Thailand in only his eleventh pro fight last May 19, 2000.

Tuñacao’s first defense against Celes Kobayashi of Japan ended in a draw then he lost his title to Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand by first round technical knockout last March 2, 2001.

Tuñacao is now 35 year old and this could very well be his last stab at championship glory.

With a 32 (20 KOs)-2-3 (win-loss-draw) record, Tuñacao is also a former OPBF bantamweight champ. He is now based in Kobe, Japan and won the right to be the mandatory challenger when he beat Mexican Christian Esquivel by seventh round TKO in a WBC bantamweight eliminator bout held last December at the Central Gym in Kobe, Japan.

The 30-year-old Yamanaka is unbeaten with a 17 (12 KOs)-0-2 record. He won the vacant title in 2011 after stopping Esquivel in 11 rounds. He has two successful defenses against Vic Darchinyan of Australia and Tomas Rojas of Mexico.

This Tokyo fight card will also feature a world title bout between two Japanese boxers, WBC flyweight champion Toshiyuki Igarashi and challenger Akira Yaegashi, and the WBC superfeatherweight title clash between champion Gamaliel Diaz of Mexico and challenger Takashi Miura of Japan.