Pedro Taduran vs Ginjiro Shigeoka Preview May 24th, 2025
IBF Minimumweight Champion (strawweight 105 lbs) Pedro Taduran of the Philippines will be putting his belt on the line this Saturday, May 24th when he takes on former champion Ginjiro Shigeoka of Japan in a rematch. The 12-rounder from Osaka, Japan, can be seen live on Probox in most of thye world and on Abema in Japan with the card getting underway at about 4am ET. The two first met last July with Shigeoka losing his title via a ninth-round TKO in an upset.
Taduran vs Shigeoka Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Ginjiro Shigeoka +110
- Pedro Taduran -120
My Pick
Taduran is a 28-year-old southpaw and carries around a record of 17-4-1 with 13 Ko’s and has 116 rounds of pro experience under his belt since making his debut in 2015 following his amateur career. He packs a pretty good punch as 76.5 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage. However he’s won just three of his last six fights with two defeats and a draw and has recorded just two stoppages in that span.
His first loss came at the hands of Joel Lino by six-round split decision in 2016. He dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Chayaphon Moonsri in 2018 in a shot at the WBC Minimumweight title and had points deducted in the eighth and 11th rounds for low blows. Taduran won the vacant IBF Title in 2019 when he halted Samuel Salva in the fourth round. His first defence was a four-round technical draw with Daniel Vallardes in 2020 and he then lost the belt in 2021 when Rene Mark Cuarto beat him by a close unanimous decision.
Taduran lost a seven-round technical decision in their rematch 12 months later. Taduran was dropped in the second and sixth rounds while Cuarto was deducted two points in round three for an intentional headbutt. The contest was then stopped when Taduran suffered a cut forehead due to an accidental butt. As a pro, he’s also won the vacant Philippines Minimumweight Belt. This will be Taduran’s third pro fight outside of his homeland. He measures 5-feet-4-inches tall with a 64.5-inch reach which gives him a four-inch edge in height and three-inch reach advantage on Shigeoka.
The 25-year-old Shigeoka climbs through the ropes with a mark of 11-1 with 9 Ko’s and has boxed 62 rounds since making his pro debut in 2018. He took up karate while in kindergarten and added boxing to his repertoire at the age of 10. As an amateur he captured five national titles and reportedly had a record of 56-1 with 17 Ko’s. His lone defeat came to his older brother, former WBC Minimumweight Champion Yudai Shigeoka. They were scheduled battle each other in the final of a Japanese domestic tournament but decided not to fight each other. Ginjiro’s corner threw the towel in as soon as the bell rang to start the fight.
Shigeoka won the vacant Asia Pacific Minimumweight Title in 2019 when he stopped Clyde Azarcon in just 72 seconds. He defended the belt twice and then added the vacant Japanese Minimumweight Belt in March, 2022 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Tatsuro Nakashima. His first attempt at the IBF Minimumweight Crown came in January, 2023 against Daniel Valladares but the fight was called a no-contest when Valladares couldn’t continue due to an accidental head butt in the third round.
The Interim IBF Title was up next when Shigeoka halted Rene Mark Cuarto in the ninth round. Shigeoka and Valladares then met again for the full title in October, 2023 with Shigeoka stopping him in the third frame. Shigeoka stands 5-feet-tall with a 61.5-inch reach and has plenty of power as 81.8 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage. He’s gone the distance just twice, which were eight and 10 round fights. All of Shigeoka’s pro bouts have taken place in his homeland of Japan.
Prediction…
Shigeoka was favoured against Taduran in the first fight due to his unbeaten record and his power as he’d never lost an actual fight inside the ring as an amateur or a pro. However Taduran’s power, size and skills took him by surprise and he simply wasn’t prepared for what Taduran brought to the table. Taduran proved he has the tools to beat Shigeoka and he very well may do so again, but I think Shigeoka may be able to dig down deep this weekend and do what’s necessary to regain his title.
Shigeoka has power and superior skills but needs to prove it.
Play Shigeoka +110 @ BetOnline.ag
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Ginjiro Shigeoka betting • Pedro Taduran betting