BBC Boxing: Miyo Yoshida’s Unlikely Path to a Third World Title
December 2022 saw Miyo Yoshida, a single mother who relocated to New York earlier that year, achieve an improbable feat – winning her third world title. The 36-year-old Japanese fighter claimed the IBF bantamweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Ebanie Bridges on the undercard of the Devin Haney-Regis Prograis event.
Yoshida’s (17-4) road to the title was anything but straightforward. She was not the original opponent for Bridges, having replaced the scheduled challenger, Avril Mathie, on less than two weeks’ notice. This came just a month after Yoshida had suffered a unanimous decision loss to Shurretta Metcalf, a fight she had taken on three weeks’ notice as well.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Yoshida rose to the occasion, becoming a two-division world champion. She had previously held the WBO junior bantamweight title on two separate occasions.
“I was told about 17 days before the scheduled fight that I might be a potential opponent,” Yoshida said through a translator. “I was officially confirmed for the fight less than two weeks beforehand. I don’t recall exactly what I was doing, but I remember at that time being very excited for the opportunity, but also nervous because I was in the middle of making a change to my training team.”
Yoshida’s new coach, Aureliano Sosa, and his brother, Jimmy, worked with the fighter for just two weeks prior to the title fight. “They were so enthusiastic,” Yoshida noted, crediting her support system, including her daughter Mina, who accompanied her to the United States, as crucial motivations.
This was not the first time Yoshida had made a significant life change in pursuit of her boxing dreams. A decade earlier, she had moved to Hawaii to learn kickboxing, and now, the transition to New York City presented its own challenges.
“I came to the United States to become world champion for the third time,” Yoshida stated. “Many people in Japan said it would be impossible for me to repeat as world champion, especially in the United States. I didn’t have anything, but I believed in my potential. I am so happy to have achieved the world title after just one year in the U.S. It is because of the support of those around me.”
With the IBF bantamweight title in her possession, Yoshida’s next goal is to unify the division. She has her sights set on the WBO and WBC champion, Dina Thorslund, as well as the WBA titleholder, Nina Hughes, who is scheduled to defend her belt against Cherneka Johnson this weekend.
As Yoshida continues her quest for unification, she remains focused, with one exception – a rematch with Metcalf. “If she secures a title, then I’ll have the chance to seek revenge during my path to unification,” Yoshida emphasized.
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