Burgos earns world title shot
Unbeaten Mexican prospect, Juan Carlos Burgos, will face former world champion Hozumi Hasegawa of Japan for the vacant World Boxing Council featherweight title on November 26 in Tokyo. The 22-year-old, ranked No. 1 by the WBC holds an unblemished record
of 25 wins and 18 knockouts. He turned professional at the age of 16, and will be fighting for the world title for the first time.
Burgos, who hails from Tijuana, is coming off a stoppage win over veteran Ricardo Castillo in a WBC eliminator bout at the Tecate Arena in Guadalajara (May). The two fighters slugged it out for 10 rounds before Castillo refused to answer the bell in the
11th, giving Burgos the victory and a shot at the WBC crown.
Nicknamed Miniburgos, Burgos made his professional debut in December 2004, stopping fellow debutant Martin Borquez in one round. In October 2006, he posted a unanimous decision win over Rodolfo Garay, annexing the interim WBC Continental Americas featherweight
title. The following year, he knocked out Adam Carrera in three rounds at the Omega Products International in Corona, California, in his first fight outside Mexico. Burgos went on to win the vacant WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation featherweight belt last year
by stopping Fernando Omar Lizarraga in two rounds.
Meanwhile, Hasegawa is seeking redemption after losing his WBC bantamweight belt to Fernando Montiel in April. Hasegawa, who held the crown since 2005, was stopped by Montiel in the fourth round of their title showdown at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. It
was his first loss since absorbing a split-decision setback to fellow Japanese Masamitsu Arakawato in 2001. Hasegawa decided to move up in weight after losing his crown. The 29-year-old captured the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight title
in 2003 and held the belt before challenging for the world crown. He stopped Thai veteran Veeraphol Sahaprom in the ninth round to win the WBC bantamweight crown in 2006. Hasegawa defended his title 10 times before losing to Montiel.
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