Soto-Takayama title fight joins Canelo-Saunders on May 8
Takayama, who enjoyed multiple reigns as a minimumweight champion, ended a four-year layoff in 2020
Just a week after joining forces with Matchroom Boxing, WBO light flyweight champion Elwin Soto has his next assignment. ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez reports that “La Pulga” will face multiple-time minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayami on DAZN’s May 9th Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders card.
A win will likely set up a unification clash with WBA “Super” champion Hiroto Kyoguchi, who also signed with Matchroom last December.
Soto (18-1, 12 KO) has made two successful defenses since controversially stopping Angel Acosta for the belt, though neither came easy. Both Edward Heno and Carlos Buitrago really made him work for it, so he could really do with a decisive victory.
The 37-year-old Takayama (32-8, 12 KO) enjoyed four stints as a world champion and one as an interim champion before leaving pro boxing in 2016 to pursue Olympic glory. That plan fell apart when he lost a qualifying tournament in 2019, leading him to retire before returning to the paid ranks last year with a decision over two-time title challenger Reiya Konishi.
Scott has a good rundown of his myriad accomplishments here. Considering his age, this figures to be his last shot at glory.