By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Their spirits lifted after signing up with respected Japanese businessman and boxing enthusiast Yasuo Matsuoka, Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation minimum weight champion Rodel Mayol who is line for a mandatory world title shot later this year and former WBC super flyweight champion and WBC No. 8 Malcolm Tunacao left for Japan yesterday accompanied by Matsuoka’s Filipino wife, Gina.

Mayol said he is hoping that his new manager will be able to get him a much-awaited title shot against the winner of an all-Japanese showdown between reigning champion Katsunori Takayama  and former champion Eagle Kyowa who is actually a Thai using a Japanese ring name.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman and his son, executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman had earlier assured Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that they were one hundred percent behind Mayol’s efforts to secure a title crack late this year. Mayol is undefeated with a

record of 21-0 with 16 knockouts and is coming off a lopsided unanimous decision in a title defense against Takayuki Korogi last April 4.

Tunacao is equally determined to regain his world title after signing up with Matsuoka. The lanky Tunacao is scheduled to battle  Japan’s Ryoichi Hidaka at the Central Gym in Osaka n July 18. Tunacao has a record of 17-1-2 with 12 knockouts while Hidaka’s record is 9-5-2 with 4 KO.s. In his last fight Tunacao scored a ninth round TKO over Takafumi Gimeno at the Korakuen Hall on February 14.