[Boxing] Joshua Franco vs Kazuto Ioka WBA World Superfly (June 24)

[bisdak40]

ctto

Date: June 24, 2023
Venue: Ota-City General Gymnasium, Japan

This fight will happen on the weekend and what interest to make a thread about this is that their last fight ended in a majority draw which i think Franco could have won the fight but since it happens in Japan, judges might be a little bias of course as we all know that Japan is not friendly to outsiders when it comes to decision.

Below odds is almost even so this is an interesting fight to watch.

What's your thoughts about this fight guys?



https://www.boxingscene.com/kazuto-ioka-vs-joshua-franco-rematch-official-june-24-tokyo--174132

[Kelvinid]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

[coin-investor]

This fight will happen on the weekend and what interest to make a thread about this is that their last fight ended in a majority draw which i think Franco could have won the fight but since it happens in Japan, judges might be a little bias of course as we all know that Japan is not friendly to outsiders when it comes to decision.

Below odds is almost even so this is an interesting fight to watch.

And yet Franco's camp still agreed to fight in Japan with the same opponent and the same venue, his camp could have opted to fight on neutral ground, but I guess Franco's team couldn't do that because of money, because we all know Japanese promoters will spend just to hold the fight in their turf since this is a rematch and both fighters want to settle the score I'm expecting a lot of action, this is how you settle a draw it should be dominated by one fighter.

[bisdak40]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

Ioka winning is a big possibility since the fight will be held in Japan and chances are that the fate of this fight will be in the hands of the judges since both boxers are not knockout artist.

Franco in an interview has said that he will do his best so that this fight will not go the distance and again be frustrated with the judges but i doubt he can do that as Ioka is one hell of fighter to crack like to what we have seen when he fight with Nietes.

But i'm more inclined to bet for Franco here because talent-wise, the latter is a little superior than Ioka and he is now 34 years old while Franco is just 27 years of age, that might be a factor also.

[Questat]

Franco in an interview has said that he will do his best so that this fight will not go the distance and again be frustrated with the judges but i doubt he can do that as Ioka is one hell of fighter to crack like to what we have seen when he fight with Nietes.

Franco already knows that if he cannot knock out Kazuto, he cannot expect to win. It's better to be realistic in that regard, as it will motivate him to train hard and become a knockout artist. In fact, I've read an article stating that Japan and Australia are considered the worst countries to host boxing matches, as the judges' decisions are often unfair.

[Kelvinid]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

Ioka winning is a big possibility since the fight will be held in Japan and chances are that the fate of this fight will be in the hands of the judges since both boxers are not knockout artist.

Franco in an interview has said that he will do his best so that this fight will not go the distance and again be frustrated with the judges but i doubt he can do that as Ioka is one hell of fighter to crack like to what we have seen when he fight with Nietes.

But i'm more inclined to bet for Franco here because talent-wise, the latter is a little superior than Ioka and he is now 34 years old while Franco is just 27 years of age, that might be a factor also.

Good luck, though! I hope Franco takes this fight seriously and works even harder to secure a victory. You see, in Japan, it's difficult to expect a win unless you are clearly the superior boxer, which makes it a challenging task for Franco to defeat the hometown favorite.

In fact, I've read an article stating that Japan and Australia are considered the worst countries to host boxing matches, as the judges' decisions are often unfair.

With this, it's really necessary for Franco to win by KO.

[Vaculin]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

But we should give credit to Joshua Franco as well because in their first encounter, he managed to come on par with Kazuto's which resulted into a draw. Do note that this 2nd fight or rematch is on the same place, Kazuto's backyard yet Franco is not showing any signs of fear or anything that could give an advantage towards the Japanese boxer.

Although, when it comes to adjustments, I'd give my vote to Ioka as he's the one who have more experiences in this industry and he's quite faced a lot of good boxers already.

[Ziskinberg]

Although, when it comes to adjustments, I'd give my vote to Ioka as he's the one who have more experiences in this industry and he's quite faced a lot of good boxers already.

Yeah, with his experience, he can use that to win this fight. That's why bookies are giving them a 50/50 chance, as evidenced by the previously released odds. This fight will likely go the full 12 rounds, unless one of them significantly improves. However, judging by their KO rate, it's quite low, so we can't expect a knockout.

[btc_angela]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

Ioka winning is a big possibility since the fight will be held in Japan and chances are that the fate of this fight will be in the hands of the judges since both boxers are not knockout artist.

Franco in an interview has said that he will do his best so that this fight will not go the distance and again be frustrated with the judges but i doubt he can do that as Ioka is one hell of fighter to crack like to what we have seen when he fight with Nietes.

But i'm more inclined to bet for Franco here because talent-wise, the latter is a little superior than Ioka and he is now 34 years old while Franco is just 27 years of age, that might be a factor also.

I will also go with Franco here, for me he has the talent to beat the Japanese Ioka as Ioka is somewhat old and Franco might be just peaking and hitting his prime years right now.

First fight was really entertaining for us, and it went into a draw. And I thin Franco already learn his lessons on that fight. And although he was the busier fighter, the judges didn't see his power. So for sure he will adjust on this second fight and try to take the belt from Ioka.

[TravelMug]

Odds are still very close though, so we might expect the fight could be similar to the first one. I can't remember if I watch the first though, so I have to check whether Franco could have won the first fight since he has the volume puncher or Ioka accuracy that really impressed the judges but we can't discount the fact that this could be a biased scoring. And it's good that the Japanese gives Franco a rematch to see who is going to be the WBA superfly once and for all. Hopefully though, the judges in the the rematch should be fair and firm and no more hometown decision or at least try to save Ioka by another draw again.

[aioc]

Odds are still very close though, so we might expect the fight could be similar to the first one. I can't remember if I watch the first though, so I have to check whether Franco could have won the first fight since he has the volume puncher or Ioka accuracy that really impressed the judges but we can't discount the fact that this could be a biased scoring. And it's good that the Japanese gives Franco a rematch to see who is going to be the WBA superfly once and for all. Hopefully though, the judges in the the rematch should be fair and firm and no more hometown decision or at least try to save Ioka by another draw again.

This is the highlight of their first fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXMaJq64C6o both fighters have the same style, they love to engage and mix it up the kind of fight that you want to see in a boxing match,  the match is very close going to the championship rounds and based on the highlights it was Franco dominating the championship rounds, he should have won the fight because he is the one more impressive in the last two rounds.

But because the early rounds are close the judges to please the host country and the crowd made it a majority draw, I'm sure Franco knows that he needs to totally dominate the fight or knock out Ioka to win this rematch we'll just hope the judges will be fair this time the winner should deserve the title.

[Yamifoud]

This is the highlight of their first fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXMaJq64C6o both fighters have the same style, they love to engage and mix it up the kind of fight that you want to see in a boxing match,  the match is very close going to the championship rounds and based on the highlights it was Franco dominating the championship rounds, he should have won the fight because he is the one more impressive in the last two rounds.

I didn't know it was already a rematch. I watched the highlights, and now I can say that both fighters have a chance to win. However, the 'home court' advantage makes it likely that Kazuto Ioka will have the upper hand again. So, Joshua Franco is right - he needs to look for a knockout if he wants to ensure a win.

Although I voted for Ioka, I do enjoy seeing the visitor win the fight.

[yazher]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

After we witnessed how it turned out for Casimero when he fought that Japanese guy in their country, this will likely be the same scenario as that because they are not afraid anymore to give an advantage to their fellow countrymen as long as they have the privilege to do so. Franco needs to work hard in his training because even a clear knockout will result in disqualification if he hits his opponent close to the not permissible part. He needs to put pressure and give his best in throwing multiple punches since his knockout percentage is not well; he will probably win by unanimous decision if he shows them domination throughout the rounds.

[Jawhead999]

After we witnessed how it turned out for Casimero when he fought that Japanese guy in their country, this will likely be the same scenario as that because they are not afraid anymore to give an advantage to their fellow countrymen as long as they have the privilege to do so. Franco needs to work hard in his training because even a clear knockout will result in disqualification if he hits his opponent close to the not permissible part. He needs to put pressure and give his best in throwing multiple punches since his knockout percentage is not well; he will probably win by unanimous decision if he shows them domination throughout the rounds.

I don't think Franco has a good chance to knockout Ioka because latest Franco fights, he was rarely win via KO, so I would expect this fight will go into decision. Franco had show a good performance in the previous match, but I think Ioka should be win in the rematch due to biased judges.

If the fight is close and it should be draw, Ioka will win. If Franco is more dominating, but it's not completely dominating, the fight will be draw.

It's like Ioka has 60% chance to win, while Franco only has 40%.

[btc_angela]

After we witnessed how it turned out for Casimero when he fought that Japanese guy in their country, this will likely be the same scenario as that because they are not afraid anymore to give an advantage to their fellow countrymen as long as they have the privilege to do so. Franco needs to work hard in his training because even a clear knockout will result in disqualification if he hits his opponent close to the not permissible part. He needs to put pressure and give his best in throwing multiple punches since his knockout percentage is not well; he will probably win by unanimous decision if he shows them domination throughout the rounds.

I don't think Franco has a good chance to knockout Ioka because latest Franco fights, he was rarely win via KO, so I would expect this fight will go into decision. Franco had show a good performance in the previous match, but I think Ioka should be win in the rematch due to biased judges.

Yes, Franco doesn't have the knockout power, what his strategy or what he does is to overwhelm his opponents with a lot of punch. Not necessarily with power, but just touching them to look good at the judges. But it was a different set of eyes, and although he throws a lot of punch, it was not enough for them to award him the win.

If the fight is close and it should be draw, Ioka will win. If Franco is more dominating, but it's not completely dominating, the fight will be draw.

It's like Ioka has 60% chance to win, while Franco only has 40%.

As per the current odds though, Franco is the slight favorite, at 1.82, Ioka at 1.96.

So maybe this is going to be another close fight in the book and judges will have to do their job here.

[Kemarit]

Since the fight will be held in Japan, I will be rooting for the Japanese fighter to win. Here are my reasons:

There may be a chance that the judges could be biased towards their fellow countryman.
Joshua Franco is not known for his knockout power, having only recorded 8 knockouts in his 18 wins.

Despite the advantages I mentioned above, the odds for Kazuto Ioka are quite attractive.

After we witnessed how it turned out for Casimero when he fought that Japanese guy in their country, this will likely be the same scenario as that because they are not afraid anymore to give an advantage to their fellow countrymen as long as they have the privilege to do so. Franco needs to work hard in his training because even a clear knockout will result in disqualification if he hits his opponent close to the not permissible part. He needs to put pressure and give his best in throwing multiple punches since his knockout percentage is not well; he will probably win by unanimous decision if he shows them domination throughout the rounds.

I'm not really sure who you describing here, Casimero, if you are referring to Akaho, he is a Japanese, but the fight happens in South Korea though.

I have given Franco the first fight, yes, it's very close but I guess the sheer volume alone could have tip the scale for him. But nevertheless, the Japanese judges are not going to award him the win as Ioka is one of their respected champion. Unless Franco is the clear winner or wins by knockout, then he could have the belt. But Ioka is very tough and that's why he is willing for a rematch here.

[Kasabus]

This is the highlight of their first fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXMaJq64C6o both fighters have the same style, they love to engage and mix it up the kind of fight that you want to see in a boxing match,  the match is very close going to the championship rounds and based on the highlights it was Franco dominating the championship rounds, he should have won the fight because he is the one more impressive in the last two rounds.

I didn't know it was already a rematch. I watched the highlights, and now I can say that both fighters have a chance to win. However, the 'home court' advantage makes it likely that Kazuto Ioka will have the upper hand again. So, Joshua Franco is right - he needs to look for a knockout if he wants to ensure a win.

Although I voted for Ioka, I do enjoy seeing the visitor win the fight.

Let's just rule out the homecourt advantage this time because if that's indeed a real thing between their fight, then Kazuto it's already safe to say that Ioka was already victorious in their first fight but that wasn't really the case because the visitor, Franco, is giving him enough struggles to lose that advantage and even brought the fight into a draw.

[coin-investor]

I have given Franco the first fight, yes, it's very close but I guess the sheer volume alone could have tip the scale for him. But nevertheless, the Japanese judges are not going to award him the win as Ioka is one of their respected champion. Unless Franco is the clear winner or wins by knockout, then he could have the belt. But Ioka is very tough and that's why he is willing for a rematch here.

Franco should have the initiative and be the aggressor just like he did in their first fight, this is the disadvantage of fighting a champion on his own turf, you have to take the crown decisively, and if the fight is too close the judges will go for the home favorite.
Franco has no choice but to go all out, and go for knock out I'm sure he is prepare for this and its going to be a war between the two as both fighters have the same style and the same motivation to win the match.

[Kemarit]

I have given Franco the first fight, yes, it's very close but I guess the sheer volume alone could have tip the scale for him. But nevertheless, the Japanese judges are not going to award him the win as Ioka is one of their respected champion. Unless Franco is the clear winner or wins by knockout, then he could have the belt. But Ioka is very tough and that's why he is willing for a rematch here.

Franco should have the initiative and be the aggressor just like he did in their first fight, this is the disadvantage of fighting a champion on his own turf, you have to take the crown decisively, and if the fight is too close the judges will go for the home favorite.
Franco has no choice but to go all out, and go for knock out I'm sure he is prepare for this and its going to be a war between the two as both fighters have the same style and the same motivation to win the match.

He really did his best to be the aggressor in this fight, that's why the volume is in his side. Just to be fair though and we want it to be clear, even if the fight is made in Japan, the judges who score it are not Japanese, (but maybe they could have been sway to favor the Japanese, we don't know).

Scores were 114-114 and 114-114 from two of the three, with the third scoring it 115-113 for Franco.

It is also noted that Franco weight is over the limit

he official pre-fight weigh-in saw Franco (18-1-3, 8KOs) tip the scales at 55.2 kilograms—roughly 121.7 pounds, which is nearly two full divisions above the 115-pound limit. He was granted two hours to lose as much weight as possible, per a fight week agreement reached between the respective teams. However, Franco’s body had already shut down as he was only able to get down to 121 ¼ pounds (55 kilograms).

Ioka was well under the limit on the first attempt, as the Osaka-born boxer—now based out of Tokyo—was 52 kilograms (roughly 114.6 pounds)

https://www.boxingscene.com/joshua-franco-still-over-115-pound-limit-wba-title-stake-only-kazuto-ioka-rematch--175600

[Viscore]

Although it's hard for Joshua Franco to win, I voted for him because I want to see a trilogy.

The first fight was very close; either boxer could have won. But I'm sure Joshua Franco has worked hard for this fight to reclaim himself. Last time, I believe it went to the judges' scorecards, but this time, I'm hoping to see a knockout.