Higa, The Ring's No. 5 bantamweight, was so close yet so far from winning the WBA 115-pound title against Antonio Vargas last July. Ultimately, the Japanese fighter settled for a draw which marked the beginning of a difficult period personally.

"To be honest, I didn't do much, I spent most of my time going out and having drinks," Higa (21-3-3, 19 KOs) told The Ring. "I was going out and drinking alcohol almost every day."

The all-action fighter, who previously held the WBC flyweight title, had fallen short in three bantamweight title shots. A narrow 12-round decision defeat by then-WBO ruler Yoshiki Takei was followed by consecutive unanimous draws against Seiya Tsutsumi and Vargas for WBA honors.

After the latter, he turned to drink and contemplated stepping away from boxing altogether.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about whether I should continue boxing or move on and pursue a different life outside the sport," he said. "I was seriously considering a life outside of boxing and what my future would look like.

"I think I would have found a regular job and worked seriously, probably as a sales representative."

However, the 30-year-old decided to step away from alcohol and began training again.

"Once I decided to return, things changed," he said. "I imagined what my life would be like if I continued boxing and what it would be like if I pursued something else. In the end, I realized that boxing is what I truly want to do, feeling that was the path meant for me.

"Sparring and training became my priority, and alcohol does not really help with performance, so now I keep it in moderation."

Things came together and he will face countryman Masuda for the WBA 'regular' 118-pound world title at the Kokuguikan in Tokyo.

"I think it will be a very good and exciting fight for the fans," he said. "Riku is a tall southpaw with good punching power... his left hand is particularly dangerous and one of his best weapons.

"On the other hand, because I am the smaller fighter, I believe my ability to get inside and explode in close range is one of my strengths."

Higa has done a lot of soul searching since the Vargas draw and hopes to utilise this opportunity so he can position himself for further big fights later down the line.

"It feels like the past year has gone by very quickly," he said. "Looking back on that Vargas fight, I think I could have been more aggressive. Over the past year, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my future and realized that I still want to box and become a world champion.

"If I'm going to do this, then my goal is to reach the top. I would also like the opportunity to face elite fighters such as Jesse Rodriguez."

Masuda (10-1, 9 KOs), rated one spot lower than Higa in The Ring's rankings at No. 6, has moved quickly since his 2022 debut. He fell narrowly short in a 10-round bout against future WBA boss Tsutsumi (UD 10) when challenging for Japanese honors in August 2023, though the setback merely spurred him forward.

He enjoyed a breakthrough fight stopping four-weight champion Nonito Donaire after eight rounds, which were entertaining early and increasingly dominant in the 28-year-old southpaw's favor on March 15.