By Terence Dooley
Lee Haskins, 31-3 (13), contests the IBF interim bantamweight title against Japan’s Ryosuke Iwasa, 19-1 (12), at Whitchurch’s Action Indoor Sports Arena tomorrow night and Chris Sanigar, his cornerman, has warned viewers here in the U.K. to switch over to Channel 5 as soon as the show starts as he expects some explosive early rounds.
Haskins tops the Mick Hennessy-promoted bill. It is an all-southpaw clash and a win for the 31-year-old would cap a remarkable career turnaround since his last defeat—an eighth-round TKO to Stephane Jamoye for the EBU belt in 2012, a title he later won when stopping Omar Lamiri in eight.
“I don't see this one going 12 rounds,” stated Sanigar when speaking to the Western Daily Press. “When you get two southpaws in the ring together, they end up taking shots they would not usually take. Iwasa is big and strong for a bantamweight and our man will look to attack and be aggressive. In my experience, fights like this one tend not to go the distance. My advice to those who have bought tickets is expect the action to be explosive and don't turn up late—you might miss it!”
Iwasa will fight outside of his native Japan for the first time; the 25-year-old's sole defeat is a 10th-round TKO against current WBC titlist Shinsuke Yamanaka in 2011.
Both men have mixed in good company, both are going for their first world title, so Sanigar's prediction of a hectic early few rounds could come to pass once the first bell goes.
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