Higa cleared to return after suspension

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Higa was suspended “indefinitely” for missing weight against Cristofer Rosales last year

Former flyweight champion Daigo Higa, suspended since losing his title on the scales before a loss to Cristofer Rosales in April of last year, has been cleared to return by the Japanese Boxing Commission. Per the agreement, he must compete at bantamweight or higher.

The 24-year-old Higa (15-1, 15 KO) was a standout even among Japan’s seemingly endless swarm of young talent, smashing his way through all comers and twice defending the WBC flyweight belt. He had the unfortunate honor of becoming the first-ever Japanese champion to come in overweight for a title fight against Rosales, however, and looked drained in the ring as the Nicaraguan.

The JBC suspended Higa “indefinitely” for the miss, and he only recently appealed to have it lifted. He told the commission that he’s been “training for the last 6 months, and...typically...doing so for 6 days a week, to get in and remain in fighting shape.”

Not going to lie, I’d been periodically checking in on Asian Boxing and other sites looking for word on his return. He’s an enormously entertaining and powerful young man and I can’t wait to see him back in action.