FORMER world title challenger Jake Amparo challenges Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) minimumweight champion Takeshi Ishii today, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Amparo easily made weight at 103.6 pounds, while Ishii weighed in at 104.7 pounds.
Amparo is looking to bounce back after losing his most recent fight in Japan by unanimous decision against Takero Kitano also at the Korakuen Hall, last March 31.
The 28-year-old Amparo, who fights out of the PMI Bohol Boxing Gym in Bohol, fought for a world title last year. He came in as a last-minute replacement for Ar Ar Andales and lost to Genjiro Shigeoka by second-round knockout in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight battle in Japan.
Amparo has already fought in Japan three times and just won one. He scored a unanimous decision upset over Goki Kobayashi to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia-Pacific minimumweight title.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Ishii has won three straight fights since suffering his first career loss in 2023 at the hands of Filipino veteran Lito Dante, who defeated him by split decision in an eight-rounder in Japan.
After that loss, Ishii bounced back with a third-round knockout of Prachanon Mingpracha last year. He followed it up with a unanimous decision victory over Cebuano Kevien Jimenez to win the OPBF minimumweight belt. Earlier this year, Ishii successfully defended his title with a fifth-round knockout of Shunsuke Isa.
Amparo is 16-7-1 with four knockouts, while Ishii is 10-1 with eight knockouts. / EKA