Linares returns to Japan

Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions, Inc. has announced that a couple of golden boys under his management, WBA/WBC#5 feather Jorge Linares (16-0, 10 KOs) and Takahiro Ao (8-0, 5 KOs) will appear beneath a world twinbill in Yokohama, Japan, on September 25. Unbeaten Linares, from Venezuela, called 'Nino de Oro,' left his second motherland Japan after dispatching Luis Perez, Mexico, by a one-punch KO in the fourth beneath the WBC bantam title go in Tokyo last April. Linares impressively stopped Jesus Perez to acquire the WBA Fedecentro feather belt in Argentina in May, and quickly halted Jean Javier Sotelo in just two rounds in Venezuela this August.

Linares will face Filipino #2 contender Ayon Naranjo (13-5, 5 KOs) on the undercard. Honda says, "We hope Jorge to win the world belt here in Japan, and then go and fight in the US in the near future." The vastly talented Linares is very popular here and is highly expected to show a good performance in September. Also, six-time national high school champ Ao, a southpaw boxer-puncher, will square off against unbeaten Korean Jaechun Moon on the same show.