ALA Boys KJ Cataraja and Jeo Santisima are in Japan for the next two weeks as sparring partners for Japanese superstar and current World Boxing Association bantamweight king Naoya Inoue.
Cataraja and Santisima arrived in Japan last March 17, and will start sparring with Inoue on Tuesday, March 19.
“We will do our best because he is very strong,” Santisima, who has been to Japan for sparring three times already, told SunStar Cebu.
“This will be my hardest sparring because he’s Inoue.” Inoue, ranked no. 6 in The Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound ratings, is preparing for his upcoming world title unification bout with International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez on May 18.
Cataraja, once an amateur standout, is currently unbeaten with a 9-0 slate with seven knockouts. He is the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) Youth super flyweight champion and is ranked no. 12 in the division. (EKA)