The Hebi Marapu Match In Tokyo Is Not Easy, But Victory Is Not Impossible

Hebi Marapu and his potential opponent, Taiga Imanaga made a pose after weighing in Yokohama, Japan on July 24 before competing in Tokyo on Tuesday night, July 25, 2023. (XBC Sportech)

Appearing for the first time in Japan, Hebi Marapu does not want to be seen only as an additional party. He wants to perform as well as possible in order to realize his ambition to enter world ranking.

Hebi will face Japanese boxer Taiga Imanaga in an additional match for the WBC and WBO super bantamweight world title between defending champions Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue at the Ariake Arena, Tokyo, on Tuesday (25/7). The Hebi vs Imanaga match will be held for 8 rounds.

All boxers who will compete undergo health checks and official body weight sessions at Yokohama Bay Sheraton Tower on Monday (24/7) and Hebi are declared to be in a match.

Fighting in Tokyo, Hebi realized he was facing a tough battle. Not only because he fought against Imanaga who fought in front of his own public, the opponent was also 11 years younger and about 10 centimeters taller than himself.

Starting a professional career in June 2022, Imanaga has a record of three wins, all of which are knockout wins. In the last two fights, this 23-year-old boxer knocked down Filipino boxers, John Lawrence Ordono and Roy Sumulat. While still an amateur, Imanaga once won eight high school-level amateur titles in Nara Prefecture and had a record fighting 113 wins (23 RSC) and 13 defeats.

"Of course I know this fight is not easy. But I have also undergone all the preparation processes with the help of the coach, the science team, and the sports nutrition team. I don't want to be seen just as a boxer who appears in an additional party. More than that, I want to be as good as possible in order to open the way to a bigger stage, "hebi said after weighing.

Hebi and the XBC Sportech team have been in Japan since last July 20, and are continuing their final preparations in accordance with the program prepared by coach David Treharne. With monitoring by sports science and nutrition teams, this boxer from East Sumba is already in an ideal body weight of 61.3 kilograms, since before leaving for Japan so there is no need to do a drastic weight loss that could endanger his physical condition.

Winning at home to opponents is not an easy thing. Treharne also admits that finding the right strategy is also complicated.

"Hebi is both physically and mentally ready. She will be strong and have the stamina to fight eight rounds, as scheduled. Hebi is also very focused and ready to carry out the fight plan. We just want to make the opponent feel uncomfortable and force him into our strategy. The key is not to let Imanaga feel comfortable, "said the Canadian coach.

Treharne also admits it is difficult to win points in Japan. However, aggressive fighting to bring down opponents can also backfire. Therefore, blow, movement, and explosiveness will be key in every round.