By Sean Jones: Shavkat Rakhimov and #3 Kenichi Ogawa will be battling for the vacant IBF super featherweight title after the International Boxing Federation ordered the fight on Monday.
The management for Rakhimov and Ogawa have until next month on March 17th, to get the fight negotiated before it goes to a purse bid.
Mike Coppinger has revealed the IBF ordering #1 Rakhimov (15-0-1, 12 KOs) and 33-year-old Ogawa (25-1-1, 18 KOs) of Japan to battle for the 130-lb title recently stripped from champion Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr last Friday after he failed to make weight for his bout against Rakhimov.
The Russian fighter Rakhimov, 26, had a chance to capture the vacant IBF super featherweight title last Saturday night against Diaz Jr (31-1-1, 15 KOs) in their fight at the Fantasy Springs in Indio, California. Still, the match was ruled a 12 round draw.
Rakhimov showed excellent hand speed and combination punching against Diaz, but the way he gassed out in the second half was hard to watch. It’s unclear whether Rakhimov faded or became overly cautious about letting his hands go because he was getting countered by Jo Jo Diaz.
Rakhimov looked inexperienced and confused in the championship rounds, and he let Diaz Jr boss him around the ring rather than taking charge with his combination punching. In between rounds, Rakhimov looked disengaged mentally when his trainer Freddie Roach was giving him instructions.
Rakhimov wasn’t making eye contact with Roach in between rounds and didn’t appear to attempt to carry out his orders for him to attack more with his combinations. When they’re told what to do by their trainers, some fighters carry out the instructions to the letter like soldiers.
In Rakhimov’s case, he looked like he was doing the opposite of what Roach was telling him to do.
Hence, he failed to get the victory. You got to believe that we could see the same pattern from Rakhimov when he faces Ogawa, and it’ll cost him the fight.
Rakhimov had to pay the price when he was getting his shots off, and it looked like he was no longer willing to put himself in harm’s way in the second half.
If Rakhimov fights like that against Ogawa, he’ll lose for sure because the Japanese fighter is aggressive, and he won’t stop attacking.
Interestingly, the IBF gives Rakhimov a second consecutive shot at winning their title, as he failed to get the job done last Saturday night.
Rakhimov was getting the better of Diaz Jr through the 8th round, but he faded in the championship rounds from the pressure put on him by Jo Jo.
Ogawa fought Tevin Farmer for the vacant IBF 130-lb title in December 2017 and beat him by a 12 round split decision. However, the results of the contest were overturned after Ogawa tested positive for the banned substance Androstanediol.
Since that fight, Ogawa has fought these four obscure fighters:
- Kazuhiro Nishitani – UD 10
- Joe Nonay – TD draw 5
- Glenn Medura – RTD 4
- Rodan Aldea – UD 10
Ogawa is an excellent fighter, but his opposition has been subpar through the majority of his career. The only name fighter Ogawa has fought is Farmer, but that was four years ago.
It would be better if the IBF moved Ogawa down in the rankings and moved up a fighter that has a better record in facing top tier opposition rather than unknown boxers the way he has.
You can argue that former IBF 130-lb champion Farmer (30-5-1, 6 KOs) deserves to be the one fighting Rakhimov rather than Ogawa. What Farmer has going against him is inactivity.
The 30-year-old Farmer hasn’t fought since losing his IBF title to Joseph Diaz Jr in January 2020.
Given the fact that Farmer hasn’t fought in 13 months since his defeat and has no fights scheduled, it makes it hard to say that he should be fighting for his former IBF belt.
Still, Farmer has a far better record than Ogawa in terms of facing world-class opposition.
“Sources: The IBF has ordered Shavkat Rakhimov and Kenichi Ogawa to vie for its vacant 130-pound title. Diaz was stripped after missing weight ahead of his Saturday draw with Rakhimov. Rakhimov’s promoter, German Titov, and Ogawa’s promoter, Mr. Honda, have till March 17 to close,” said @MikeCoppinger.