Kirizume has spent too many years in boxing to underestimate the value of history. Long before becoming a promoter, he learned that people rarely buy tickets for a fight alone. They buy the stories attached to it.
And the upcoming event has plenty of those. The headliner already carries enough history on its own, but even the undercard offers another narrative that fans find difficult to ignore.
Kazuya Tojo is scheduled to face Satoru, a fighter widely known as Ryoma's first student. For many fans, the connection is impossible to miss.
Local media has been more than happy to remind people of it. One of the local television programs even spends several minutes discussing the matchup.
"It's funny when you think about it," one commentator says with a laugh. "Ryoma Takeda's professional debut was against Kazuya Tojo, and he knocked him out with a single Phantom Shot."
