FORMER world title contender Jake Amparo attempts to redeem himself as he returns to fight once again in Japan.
Amparo is slated to challenge Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) minimumweight king Takeshi Ishii on Sept. 9, 2025, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
This will be Amaparo’s fourth outing in the “Land of the Rising Sun” where he stands at 1-2.
The 27-year-old Amparo made a strong impression in his Japan debut in 2023, defeating Goki Kobayashi via unanimous decision to bag the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia-Pacific minimumweight title.
Later that year, Amparo took a high-risk opportunity as a last-minute replacement against International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight titleholder Ginjiro Shigeoka, and unfortunately got knocked out in the second round.
In his third appearance in Japan last March 31, 2025, Amparo suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Takero Kitano.
Now, he is set to face the 25-year-old Ishii, who won his last three bouts. Ishii claimed the OPBF minimumweight belt with a unanimous decision victory over John Kevien Jimenez last year and successfully defended his belt with a fifth-round knockout of Shunsuke Isa last March 11, 2025.
Ishii’s lone career defeat came at the hands of veteran Filipino Lito Dante, who beat him by unanimous decision.
This fight should be a huge opportunity for Amparo to rise up the minimumweight ladder because Ishii is highly-rated.
Ishii is ranked No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and No. 9 in both the IBF and the World Boxing Council.
Amparo is currenlty rated No. 26 by the WBC.
Amparo is 16-7-1 with four knockouts, while Ishii is 10-1 with eight knockouts. / EKA