Ishida heads to L.A. to focus on title defense

The Daily Yomiuri

WBA interim super welterweight champion Nobuhiro Ishida departed for Los Angeles on Sunday to zero in on prepartion for his second title defense, set for Sept. 25.

Ishida is scheduled to take on ninth-ranked Mexican Rigoberto Alvarez in Guadalajara, Mexico, a fight that was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed.

The match could be delayed again for a number of days if a local TV station doesn't agree to the proposed date and time.

Ishida said that it was not easy for him to stay focused on the match in Japan and that he wanted "to think only about boxing," while he spars and trains in Los Angeles.