By Jake Donovan

The next fight date for Ryoichi Taguchi is not yet set, but he has an opponent and a deadline for which said bout needs to be made. The reigning junior flyweight titlist is currently in negotiations with mandatory challenger Ryo Miyazaki, as confirmed by the World Boxing Association (WBA) to krikya360.com.

A 30-day free negotiation period is currently under way. The two sides have been ordered to come to terms by July 7, at which point a purse bid hearing will be ordered in the event a deal cannot be reached. Normally, such sessions will take place at WBA headquarters in Panama City, although it would require two promoters from Japan traveling halfway around the world for such a hearing.

It's all the more motivation to negotiate a fair deal for all involved, although it could prove easier said than done – although not insurmountable. Taguchi is proudly represented by Watanabe Promotions in Tokyo, while Miyazaki fights under the Ioka Promotions banner in Osaka.

The promoters often have dueling New Year’s Eve shows in their respective regions in Japan roughly six hours apart in distance but overlapping on air.

Taguchi (24-2-1, 11KOs) began his title reign on a New Year’s Eve boxing event, outpointing Peru’s Alberto Rossel in Dec. ’14, having since racked up three successful title defenses.

The most recent came this past April, scoring an 11th round stoppage of Juan Jose Landaeta on a night that saw his stablemate Takashi Uchiyama suffer a shocking 2nd round knockout loss to Jezreel Corrales to end his lengthy stay atop the super featherweight division.

Taguchi has emerged as among the top junior flyweights (108 lbs.) in the world. His run has come as part of a six-fight win streak following a competitive points loss in Aug. ’13 to Naoya Inoue, who has since captured titles in the 108- and 115-pound division.

It can be debated to as where Miyazaki (24-1-3, 15KOs) once ranked among the world’s best strawweights. He enjoyed a brief title reign, one that also began on a New Year’s Eve show in Japan when he scored a 12-round decision over Pornsawan Porpramook in their Dec. ’12 thriller.

The bout was for the vacant WBA strawweight title left behind by Miyazaki’s stablemate and mentor Kazuto Ioka, whose father Kazunori heads Ioka Promotions. Two defenses followed for the 5’1” slugger before leaving the title behind in opting to move up in weight.

Nothing good came of the move, other than not punishing his body any more than necessary. Even with three extra pounds to spare in campaigning at junior flyweight, Miyazaki was severely weight drained and in fact had passed out during the weigh-in prior to his eventual 2013 New Year’s Eve knockout loss to Fahlan Sakreerin Jr.

In retrospect – and to anyone with a shred of common sense – the Japanese Boxing Commission should have canceled the fight on grounds of medical concern the moment Miyazaki fell faint at the weigh-in. He’s since overcome the setback in the sense that he’s won four straight.

However, the win streak has come against miserably overmatched competition, which bears the question of just how he has emerged as the mandatory challenger to Taguchi’s title reign.

Ioka Promotions next hosts a show on July 20, when Kazuto Ioka defends his flyweight title versus Keyvin Lara. Even if the camps for Taguchi and Miyazaki are able to come to terms for this fight ahead of deadline, it’s doubtful the fight lands on that show, already a loaded bill featuring Ioka as well as a vacant super bantamweight title fight between Jonathan Guzman and Shingo Wake.

Should the mandated title fight land on any other date aside from the aforementioned July 20 show, it will mark the first time since Oct. ’11 where Miyazaki appeared on a card that didn’t star or even feature Ioka. The two have appeared together on 10 straight events.

Likewise, Taguchi’s last four fights – and five of his past six – have featured Uchiyama in the headlining attraction.

Chances are, the next time Taguchi and Miyazaki enter the ring, it will not only be against each other, but with their respective mentors at ringside rather than on the bill, and on a night where either champion or challenger must emerge as the star of the show.

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of krikya360.com. Follow his shiny new Twitter account: @JakeNDaBox_v2