ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez reports that newly crowned WBA light flyweight champion Erick Rosa and reigning IBF titlist Masamichi Yabuki are in talks to square off in the “first third of 2025.”
Rosa (8-0, 2 KO) spent nearly two years trying and failing, through no fault of his own, to get in the ring with Knockout CP Freshmart before giving up and setting sail for 108 on the heels of a tune-up win. Kenshiro Teraji’s move to 112 opened the door for “Mini Pac-Man” to fight for the vacant title against Neider Valdez, whom Rosa outgunned for the belt last month in his native Dominican Republic.
Yabuki (17-4, 16 KO), eight years Rosa’s elder, bounced back from his knockout loss to Teraji in their rematch by stopping three consecutive foes. This earned him a crack at Sivenathi Nontshinga, whom he likewise beat down in October.
I’d tab Yabuki as the man to beat at 108, but Rosa is a phenomenal young talent and deserves a ton of praise if he goes through with this. We’ll let you know if they get it over the line.
As for the rest of the division, Shokichi Iwata has yet to schedule his first defense of the WBO belt since claiming it with a three-round drubbing of Jairo Noriega, while WBC titlist Panya Pradabsri will hopefully have to rematch Carlos Canizales after absolutely robbing him on Boxing Day.