Willibaldo Garcia and Rene Calixto won’t have to leave their home country this time around.
BoxingScene has confirmed that their vacant IBF junior bantamweight title fight rematch will take place on May 23 at a venue to be determined in Mexico. The timing puts the fight five months after their thrilling December 20 split decision draw in Shizuoka, Japan.
Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions – which represents Garcia along with BXTSRS – secured the rights to the fight in a February 11 purse bid hearing. The fight was originally targeted to take place this weekend, but a decision was made to push the fight out to May.
Garcia, 22-5-2 (13 KOs) and Calixto, 23-0-1 (9 KOs) provided a Fight of the Year contender in their first meeting late last year. Their memorable affair – the first where either boxer was extended past the tenth round – was a rare occasion where all three wide ranging scorecards were acceptable, given the number of close and competitive rounds.
Judge Tetsuya Iida (118-110) had Garcia winning, while Surat Soikrachang (116-112) scored the fight for Calixto. It came down to judge Edward Ligas (114-114), who awarded six rounds apiece, to produce the stalemate.
The bout took place in Japan, despite both boxers hailing from Mexico. In fact, they are less than 100 miles apart within the state of Guerrero – Calixto, 30, hails from Acapulco, while the 35-year-old Garcia is from Copala.
Calixto’s promotional alliance with Tomoki Kameda’s TMK International company paved the way for Koki Kameda, Tomoki’s older brother and head of Kameda Promotions, to present the fight in Japan.
There was a point where the second fight also seemed destined to return overseas. However, talks stalled to the point where the IBF sent the matter to a purse bid hearing.
The streaking Garcia is unbeaten in his last nine starts. Prior to his split draw with Calixto, he won eight straight following a June 2021 split decision defeat to two-division titlist Paul Butler in Bolton, England.
Calixto was perfect through 23 pro fights before having to settle for the aforementioned draw with his countryman.
The IBF junior bantamweight title has remained vacant since last fall.
Argentina’s Fernando Martinez 17-0 (9 KOs) retained the IBF belt and won the WBA strap in a July 7 unanimous decision win over Kazuto Ioka, 31-3-1 (16 KOs) at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. The title unifying win came with the caveat that Martinez would have to next face Garcia as his IBF mandatory challenger.
The opportunity for a far more lucrative rematch with Ioka prompted Martinez to leave behind the IBF belt. He was due to defend the WBA belt versus Ioka last December 31 but fell ill during fight week and was forced to withdraw.
Martinez and Ioka are now set to meet on May 11 at Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
The division’s other two titlists are WBC and lineal champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs) and IBF claimant Phumelela Cafu, 11-0-3 (8 KOs). BoxingScene has confirmed that talks are ongoing for a mouthwatering unification clash targeted for this summer.
