Former World Boxing Council bantamweight champion, Shinsuke Yamanaka (27-1-2,  19KOs), is preparing like never before, for his rematch with Mexican Luis "Pantera" Nery, on March 1, in Tokyo, Japan.

Yamanaka suffered a fourth round TKO last August in the city of Kyoto, failing in the thirteenth defense of his WBC bantamweight world title. Yamanaka has participated in a well-attended press conference, to promote this attractive card.

He was the dominant figure of Japanese boxing for six years, with 12 defenses of the world title.

And now all the more defiant the Japanese veteran stresses - "If I had been effectively knocked out by Luis Nery, with me falling to the canvas, I would have hung up my gloves forever. But the result of my defeat in that manner does not convince me.

"I went into the ring in excellent physical condition. I can not be satisfied with the outcome of that night, I can not find the reason [to walk away] because I had lost. I can not think about finishing my career in this way, with a defeat that does not convince me. I am not finished yet, my determination to return to boxing is great and that is why I will do everything in my power to recover the green and gold belt."

The WBC bantamweight champion, Nery, has since fought a non-title fight with the Filipino Arthur Villanueva, who was defeated by knockout in the sixth round last November in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

After the fight, Nery commented that he would undoubtedly accept the rematch with Yamanaka, and fate did the rest.

The World Boxing Council had left Nery with little choice in the matter, since he failed a post-fight drug test in the aftermath of the first bout, but it was determined that he may have ingested some tainted meat in Mexico. The WBC allowed him to keep his title, but they also ordered him to take part in a mandatory rematch with Yamanaka.