Daiya Kira faces Carlos Canizales for WBA title on September 2

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Japanese super-prospect Daiya Kira won’t get a crack at unified glory his next time out, but he can still secure his first world title belt when he meets Carlos Canizales for the WBA light flyweight title on September 2nd in Yokohama. The 23-year-old Kira (4-0, 3 KO) ran over Ivan Garcia Balderas in a final eliminator last December, setting up a mandatory shot at WBA/WBO champ Rene Santiago. Santiago unfortunately injured his elbow in preparation for the fight and, like Seiya Tsutsumi before him, has been relegated to champion in recess. Much as it sucks, it’s a greatly needed break for Venezuela’s Canizales (28-3-1, 20 KO), simultaneously one of the best and unluckiest fighters in the lower weight classes. After falling heartbreakingly short against Kenshiro Terjai, “CCC” got robbed in Bangkok by Panya Pradabsri, destroyed him in the rematch to claim the WBC belt, then had to withdraw from a planned defense against Knockout CP Freshmart when the US’s impending takeover of Venezuela left him unable to leave the country in a timely manner. Despite the fact that this was a voluntary defense and the circumstances were totally outside of his control, Mauricio Sulaiman and co. stripped him of the belt and never gave him a shot at either Freshmart, who won the now-vacant title against a late-notice foe. or Shokichi Iwata, who smashed Freshmart in his first defense. This is genuinely one of the better fights on the schedule. Kira looks like a star in the making, but the last time an Asian amateur great tried to fast-track his way to a title at Canizales’ expense, Canizales effectively ended Lu Bin’s career for half a decade. Really hoping there’s an easy way for us to watch.