The first of 3 world title fights televised in Japan today saw WBA Light Flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka (14-0, 9) given one of his toughest bouts to date, as he took on Nicaraguan puncher Felix Alvarado (18-1, 15).
Although both men are, usually, very different fighters with Alvarado being an aggressive fighter who backs opponents up then quickly breaks them down whilst Ioka is a pure boxer-puncher they gelled perfectly here. Alvarado as everyone expected came forward though Ioka, for the most part, decided to stand his ground and fight fire with fire.
From the first round on wards the men stood in front of each other with Alvarado trying to take Ioka's head off with every shot. Ioka showed his intelligence and boxing ability by blocking and slipping before landing counters.
The fight started competitive with Alvarado having plenty of success as he rushed Ioka though as the fight went on Ioka began to time Alvarado more and more whilst also swelling his left eye and landing harder cleaner punches. It had been close through 4 rounds though through the middle stretch of the bout Ioka totally took over as Alvarado's lack of experience cost him dearly.
By round 9 Ioka had put the close start behind him and totally taken over. The steam had gone from Alvarado's attacks and his punches, which had been snappy early on were now pushed and slow, they were easier to counter and Ioka was in total control despite standing at close range to his Nicaraguan challenger.
With the champion dominating the middle and late rounds it was no shock that he retained his title comfortably on the scorecards, well 2 of them anyway with scores of 119-109, though I'm not sure what Sergio Caiz was watching scoring it 115-113 for Ioka who was in charge for 8 or 9 rounds of the 12.
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Takashi Miura v Dante Jardon
When I read about the fights announced for New Years Eve this year one of them really stood out, Takashi Miura (27-2-2, 20), the WBC Super Featherweight champion, against Mexican challenger Dante "Crazy" Jardon (24-4, 20). This bout, on paper, had fireworks and war written all over it. Both men were known for their aggressive styles, toughness and happiness to let their hands go.
Unfortunately my excitement for this fight had died off with in a round of the fight actually beginning as it was obvious the fighters were in different leagues to each other. Miura came out on fire and poor Jardon simply had no answer, at all. It was obvious that Jardon, for all his hype wasn't capable of holding his own with Miura.
The aggressive Japanese southpaw managed to hurt Jardon in pretty much every round as he unloaded at will to head and body breaking down and beating up his Mexican challenger.
Jardon's heart was the only thing keeping him in the bout and it saw him pull himself off the canvas in round 5 as Miura turned the screw and moved up a gear. If it wasn't for the toughness and heart of Jardon that would have been it. Instead of staying down and taking the count Jardon lived up to his name of "Crazy" and walked into more punishment as Miura continued to hammer away on him, dropping him again in round 8.
By the time we saw the WBC's opening scoring for the time, after round 8, the bout really was beyond hope for Jardon who was a mile behind on the cards, bloodied, beaten up and pretty much broken.
Thankfully the referee was happy to keep an eye on Jardon and after he was dropped in round 9 the referee immediately waved off the bout. Enough had been enough and Miura was simply too good. A shame considering I expected this to be a war rather than an assault, but well done Miura.
With wins over Gamaliel Diaz, Sergio Thompson and Dante Jardon this year it's fair to suggest that Miura has become the new "Mexi-killer" and a possible forgotten man in the "Fighter of the Year" conversation. Well done Takashi, great performance, great year and I hope to see more next year!
Unfortunately my excitement for this fight had died off with in a round of the fight actually beginning as it was obvious the fighters were in different leagues to each other. Miura came out on fire and poor Jardon simply had no answer, at all. It was obvious that Jardon, for all his hype wasn't capable of holding his own with Miura.
The aggressive Japanese southpaw managed to hurt Jardon in pretty much every round as he unloaded at will to head and body breaking down and beating up his Mexican challenger.
Jardon's heart was the only thing keeping him in the bout and it saw him pull himself off the canvas in round 5 as Miura turned the screw and moved up a gear. If it wasn't for the toughness and heart of Jardon that would have been it. Instead of staying down and taking the count Jardon lived up to his name of "Crazy" and walked into more punishment as Miura continued to hammer away on him, dropping him again in round 8.
By the time we saw the WBC's opening scoring for the time, after round 8, the bout really was beyond hope for Jardon who was a mile behind on the cards, bloodied, beaten up and pretty much broken.
Thankfully the referee was happy to keep an eye on Jardon and after he was dropped in round 9 the referee immediately waved off the bout. Enough had been enough and Miura was simply too good. A shame considering I expected this to be a war rather than an assault, but well done Miura.
With wins over Gamaliel Diaz, Sergio Thompson and Dante Jardon this year it's fair to suggest that Miura has become the new "Mexi-killer" and a possible forgotten man in the "Fighter of the Year" conversation. Well done Takashi, great performance, great year and I hope to see more next year!
Takashi Uchiyama v Daiki Kaneko
Sometimes, albeit rarely, in our sport a fighter who loses manages to impress us all more than the winner of a fight. That happened earlier today as Japan's unheralded Daiki Kaneko (19-3-3, 12) gave a stirring performance en route to losing in his WBA Super Featherweight title fight with the unbeaten Takashi Uchiyama (21-0-1, 17).
The first started tentatively from both with the neither man doing a lot in the first 3 rounds but what was done was mostly from Uchiyama who landed the better, crisper and more eye catching shots. That changed however in round 4 as Kaneko tagged Uchiyama with a solid right that rocked the champion hard. By now it had become clear that Kaneko wasn't there to make up the numbers, but was instead there to prove his skills against one of the truly elite Super Featherweights.
Unfortunately for Kaneko his success in round 4 wasn't immediately followed up as Uchiyama saw out the storm then took rounds 5 and 6. Kaneko wasn't to just give up though and although he dropped round 7 he fought back hard in rounds 8 and 9 as he showed off that he was just as tough and strong as Uchiyama. The strength and power of Kaneko, which had been impressive, really stood out in round 10 as he dropped Uchiyama with a solid and clean left hand.
Although Uchiyama had been dropped, for just the second time in his career, he seemed more embarrassed about the knockdown than hurt and in round 11 he went to war with Kaneko in a round that showed the champion had his senses about him. Uchiyama showed his experience and skills in round 11 as he made Kaneko miss then countered him. It was a great round of action and one that helped to secure Uchiyama of the fight.
Having proven he wasn't done in round 11 Uchiyama looked to finish off Kaneko in round 12 and rocked Kaneko late in the round though the tough challenger saw it out to hear the final bell.
Rather disappointingly the judges didn't hand in cards that reflected just how competitive the fight was. I had it 115-112 to Uchiyama some how the judges all had it 117-110 to the champion, giving Kaneko just 1 round other than the 10-8 round 10. The right guy won but it was closer than the judges had it and a lot more interesting.
The first started tentatively from both with the neither man doing a lot in the first 3 rounds but what was done was mostly from Uchiyama who landed the better, crisper and more eye catching shots. That changed however in round 4 as Kaneko tagged Uchiyama with a solid right that rocked the champion hard. By now it had become clear that Kaneko wasn't there to make up the numbers, but was instead there to prove his skills against one of the truly elite Super Featherweights.
Unfortunately for Kaneko his success in round 4 wasn't immediately followed up as Uchiyama saw out the storm then took rounds 5 and 6. Kaneko wasn't to just give up though and although he dropped round 7 he fought back hard in rounds 8 and 9 as he showed off that he was just as tough and strong as Uchiyama. The strength and power of Kaneko, which had been impressive, really stood out in round 10 as he dropped Uchiyama with a solid and clean left hand.
Although Uchiyama had been dropped, for just the second time in his career, he seemed more embarrassed about the knockdown than hurt and in round 11 he went to war with Kaneko in a round that showed the champion had his senses about him. Uchiyama showed his experience and skills in round 11 as he made Kaneko miss then countered him. It was a great round of action and one that helped to secure Uchiyama of the fight.
Having proven he wasn't done in round 11 Uchiyama looked to finish off Kaneko in round 12 and rocked Kaneko late in the round though the tough challenger saw it out to hear the final bell.
Rather disappointingly the judges didn't hand in cards that reflected just how competitive the fight was. I had it 115-112 to Uchiyama some how the judges all had it 117-110 to the champion, giving Kaneko just 1 round other than the 10-8 round 10. The right guy won but it was closer than the judges had it and a lot more interesting.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Akira Yaegashi v Edgar Sosa
When we talk about the best boxers on the planet right now we tend to talk about Floyd Mayweather Jr, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Andre Ward. The first two of those are particularly known for being able to use their legs to neutralise an opponent's aggression and pressisure whilst lading their own shots in return. Earlier today it appeared that Akira Yaegashi (19-3, 9) had been taking notes from both Mayweather and Rigondeaux as he put on a similar showing of boxing and moving as he defeated Mexican challenger Edgar Sosa (49-8, 29) and retained his WBC Flyweight title.
The fight, for the first two rounds, looked like a chess match. It was close, it was nip and tuck and neither guy made much of a statement as they felt the other guy out. By the third round however the fight was beginning to come alive as both Sosa moved up a gear and began to find his range with the right hand. This forced Yaegashi to do two things. Firstly he had to answer back which is exactly what he did, then he had to think of a way to neutralise it.
Rather than stupidly going toe-to-toe with Sosa we saw Yaegashi going on to the back foot, moving around the ring then cutting in and unloading before getting back out. It was negative and some what dull looking at times but he forced Sosa to come after him, circled away and then connected as Sosa struggled to cut the distance.
After 4 rounds we had began to settle into a pattern that would dictate much of the fight. Sosa would slow pressure Yaegashi, Yaegashi would skip around him. When Sosa was in distance and threw Yaegahi either returned the favour or avoided it and countered. At times it was was the sort of thing you'd expect to see from Mayweather, at others Yaegashi showed his warrior mentality and traded.
Whilst Yaegashi was losing the occasional round where Sosa managed to have that bit of extra success, it was clear that the Mexican was simply too slow with both his hands and feet to make this this close. The fighter's heart was still in Sosa but at 34 he was showing serious signs of slowing down and the wear and tear of a man having had a long and gruel ling career.
Going in to the final 4 rounds the WBC opening scoring had left us in no doubt that Sosa would need a KO. Unfortunately it seemed almost impossible. Unless Yaegashi had used up his entire there was no chance of Sosa forcing an early conclusion to the bout.
Rounds 9, 10 and 11 went on the same script as many of the previous rounds with Yaegashi boxing on the move. This changed however in round 12 as the men spent the final minute beating 7 shades out of each other in the longest action sequence of the fight.
With the decision already known before being announced due to the open scoring the question wasn't who had won but more, about the future. At 34 this could well be the end for Sosa who has a fantastic career, for Yaegashi this victory may well lead to a second contest with Kazuto Ioka and in all honesty, that's a fight I want to see all over again
The fight, for the first two rounds, looked like a chess match. It was close, it was nip and tuck and neither guy made much of a statement as they felt the other guy out. By the third round however the fight was beginning to come alive as both Sosa moved up a gear and began to find his range with the right hand. This forced Yaegashi to do two things. Firstly he had to answer back which is exactly what he did, then he had to think of a way to neutralise it.
Rather than stupidly going toe-to-toe with Sosa we saw Yaegashi going on to the back foot, moving around the ring then cutting in and unloading before getting back out. It was negative and some what dull looking at times but he forced Sosa to come after him, circled away and then connected as Sosa struggled to cut the distance.
After 4 rounds we had began to settle into a pattern that would dictate much of the fight. Sosa would slow pressure Yaegashi, Yaegashi would skip around him. When Sosa was in distance and threw Yaegahi either returned the favour or avoided it and countered. At times it was was the sort of thing you'd expect to see from Mayweather, at others Yaegashi showed his warrior mentality and traded.
Whilst Yaegashi was losing the occasional round where Sosa managed to have that bit of extra success, it was clear that the Mexican was simply too slow with both his hands and feet to make this this close. The fighter's heart was still in Sosa but at 34 he was showing serious signs of slowing down and the wear and tear of a man having had a long and gruel ling career.
Going in to the final 4 rounds the WBC opening scoring had left us in no doubt that Sosa would need a KO. Unfortunately it seemed almost impossible. Unless Yaegashi had used up his entire there was no chance of Sosa forcing an early conclusion to the bout.
Rounds 9, 10 and 11 went on the same script as many of the previous rounds with Yaegashi boxing on the move. This changed however in round 12 as the men spent the final minute beating 7 shades out of each other in the longest action sequence of the fight.
With the decision already known before being announced due to the open scoring the question wasn't who had won but more, about the future. At 34 this could well be the end for Sosa who has a fantastic career, for Yaegashi this victory may well lead to a second contest with Kazuto Ioka and in all honesty, that's a fight I want to see all over again
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Katsunari Takayama v Vergilio Silvano
The first world title fight of a new week was in Japan earlier today as Japan's criminally under-rated Katsunari Takayama (26-6-0-1, 10) successfully defended his IBF Minimumweight title with a clear unanimous decision over Filipino challenger Vergilio Silvano (17-3-1, 10)
The fight started well for Takayama who rocked Silvano in the opening round and from then on Takayama didn't look back.
The Japanese fighter went from good to great as he went from rocking Silvano in the opening to out speeding him and out working in pretty much every subsequent round. He was like a buzzsaw moving in and out with punches connecting on the challenger at will in the first half of the fight, then like a machine circling the challenger in the second half of the fight. It was amazing to see Takayama's perpetual motion, he was honestly like the energeriser bunny.
To Silvano's credit he never looked hurt other than in the first round. Instead he stood there, taking the shots and trying to deliver his own in return. Unfortunate for the Filipino he spent much of his time hitting air as Takayama seemed to just move as Silvano was throwing his shots.
Although clearly up on the scorecards going in to the championship rounds Takayama refused to slow down. It seemed he was enjoying his day immensely, it was his first fight in Japan since 2009 and he was doing all he could to put on a show for the fans who had traveled to see him. Instead of cruising to the decision he continued on the offensive hitting Silvano with every shot in the book in a performance that showed why many view him as the #1 at 105lbs.
By the end of the contest there was no doubting who had won. It was a landslide and Takayama had hardly dropped a round on what was an excellent performance by a man who has often been forgotten by the boxing public.
The fight started well for Takayama who rocked Silvano in the opening round and from then on Takayama didn't look back.
The Japanese fighter went from good to great as he went from rocking Silvano in the opening to out speeding him and out working in pretty much every subsequent round. He was like a buzzsaw moving in and out with punches connecting on the challenger at will in the first half of the fight, then like a machine circling the challenger in the second half of the fight. It was amazing to see Takayama's perpetual motion, he was honestly like the energeriser bunny.
To Silvano's credit he never looked hurt other than in the first round. Instead he stood there, taking the shots and trying to deliver his own in return. Unfortunate for the Filipino he spent much of his time hitting air as Takayama seemed to just move as Silvano was throwing his shots.
Although clearly up on the scorecards going in to the championship rounds Takayama refused to slow down. It seemed he was enjoying his day immensely, it was his first fight in Japan since 2009 and he was doing all he could to put on a show for the fans who had traveled to see him. Instead of cruising to the decision he continued on the offensive hitting Silvano with every shot in the book in a performance that showed why many view him as the #1 at 105lbs.
By the end of the contest there was no doubting who had won. It was a landslide and Takayama had hardly dropped a round on what was an excellent performance by a man who has often been forgotten by the boxing public.
Tomoki Kameda v Immanuel Naidjala
Prior to today Japanese boxing fans had never seen a WBO world title bout take place on their soil. That changed thanks to WBO Bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda (29-0, 18) who became the first ever Japanese fighter to defend a WBO and the first man of any nationality to defend a WBO title on Japanese soil.
Kameda, defending the belt he won earlier this year in the Philippines, was fighting the previously unbeaten Immanuel Naidjala (17-1-1, 11). Like Paulus Ambunda, who Tomoki defeated for the belt, Naidjala was a tough and proud Namibian, though also like Ambunda he lacked the skills needed to really test Tomoki.
The fight started excellently for the defending champion who quickly established a lead with his busier and crisper work. Naidjala, after 3 rounds was being backed up, and tagged to the body time and time again. It seemed that Tomoki had a game plan based on breaking up body of Naidjala with the left hook which he whipped time and time again to the midsection.
By the start of round 6 it appeared that Naidjala was crumbling. The body shots kept coming, Tomoki kept marching forward and and the challenger appeared to have nothing to offer in terms of return fire. It was genuinely one way traffic, not a beat down but certainly all the action was going one way with Naidjala back pedaling and forced to cover up.
With Tomoki having established a clear lead going in to the championships rounds he appeared to turn off. Maybe he was tired from the work he had put in, maybe it was something mental but he suddenly stopped firing as he had done earlier on. This saw Naidjala coming back at him and seemingly taking 2 or 3 of the later rounds.
Those rounds for Naidjala were never going to be enough though and rightfully Kameda retained his title with a clear unanimous decision.
Kameda, defending the belt he won earlier this year in the Philippines, was fighting the previously unbeaten Immanuel Naidjala (17-1-1, 11). Like Paulus Ambunda, who Tomoki defeated for the belt, Naidjala was a tough and proud Namibian, though also like Ambunda he lacked the skills needed to really test Tomoki.
The fight started excellently for the defending champion who quickly established a lead with his busier and crisper work. Naidjala, after 3 rounds was being backed up, and tagged to the body time and time again. It seemed that Tomoki had a game plan based on breaking up body of Naidjala with the left hook which he whipped time and time again to the midsection.
By the start of round 6 it appeared that Naidjala was crumbling. The body shots kept coming, Tomoki kept marching forward and and the challenger appeared to have nothing to offer in terms of return fire. It was genuinely one way traffic, not a beat down but certainly all the action was going one way with Naidjala back pedaling and forced to cover up.
With Tomoki having established a clear lead going in to the championships rounds he appeared to turn off. Maybe he was tired from the work he had put in, maybe it was something mental but he suddenly stopped firing as he had done earlier on. This saw Naidjala coming back at him and seemingly taking 2 or 3 of the later rounds.
Those rounds for Naidjala were never going to be enough though and rightfully Kameda retained his title with a clear unanimous decision.
Friday, 29 November 2013
Koki Eto v Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep
Earlier this year Koki Eto (14-3-1, 10) put on a memorable performance as he defeated Thailand's Kompayak Porpramook for the WBA interim Flyweight title. Sadly for Eto his reign came to an end earlier today as he traveled to Thailand and was stopped by Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep (33-2, 20).
The Thai started like a man with a point to prove and by the end of round 3 it was obvious that the Champion was in trouble. Although Yodmongkol is far from a puncher he had rocked the Japanese fighter hard in the the third round as the challenge got off to a dream start.
Things went from good to better for the Thai who proved he was capable of shipping shots in the fourth round as Eto managed to tag him with a number of eye catching body shots. Unfortunately for Eto nothing he did had an effect on Yodmongkol who had totally established control by the end of round 5. Although Eto seemed like he was throwing a lot he wasn't having much of an effort and Yodmongkol was landing the better, crisper and cleaner shots time and time again.
The power of Yodmongkol was evident again in round 6 when he dropped Eto. Eto, who hadn't really been rocked in 12 rounds against Porpramook, was caught off balance by the knockdown was legitimate and further proved just how excellent the challenger had been. The pressure was now firmly on the champion.
Eto surprisingly responded very well to the knockdown as he won clearly round 7 and made a solid case for himself in round 8. Sadly however they were his last hurrahs and from round 9 onwards Yodmongkol re-assumed control and slowly but surely beat the fight out of Eto who looked ready to stopped in rounds 10 and 11
With Eto taking a lot of punishment it seemed like the fight could well have been stopped, instead however Eto went in to round 12 in a massive hole. Unfortunately he didn't see out the final round as Yodmongkol drilled him in the twelfth and forced a slightly premature ending to the bout with a truly eye catching knockout
The Thai started like a man with a point to prove and by the end of round 3 it was obvious that the Champion was in trouble. Although Yodmongkol is far from a puncher he had rocked the Japanese fighter hard in the the third round as the challenge got off to a dream start.
Things went from good to better for the Thai who proved he was capable of shipping shots in the fourth round as Eto managed to tag him with a number of eye catching body shots. Unfortunately for Eto nothing he did had an effect on Yodmongkol who had totally established control by the end of round 5. Although Eto seemed like he was throwing a lot he wasn't having much of an effort and Yodmongkol was landing the better, crisper and cleaner shots time and time again.
The power of Yodmongkol was evident again in round 6 when he dropped Eto. Eto, who hadn't really been rocked in 12 rounds against Porpramook, was caught off balance by the knockdown was legitimate and further proved just how excellent the challenger had been. The pressure was now firmly on the champion.
Eto surprisingly responded very well to the knockdown as he won clearly round 7 and made a solid case for himself in round 8. Sadly however they were his last hurrahs and from round 9 onwards Yodmongkol re-assumed control and slowly but surely beat the fight out of Eto who looked ready to stopped in rounds 10 and 11
With Eto taking a lot of punishment it seemed like the fight could well have been stopped, instead however Eto went in to round 12 in a massive hole. Unfortunately he didn't see out the final round as Yodmongkol drilled him in the twelfth and forced a slightly premature ending to the bout with a truly eye catching knockout
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Koki Kameda v Jung-Oh Son
Not many fighters win a lot of split decisions though there is a Japanese fighter who appears to win more than his share, and certainly more than his share of questionable ones. Koki Kameda (32-1, 17), defending his WBA Bantamweight title, got his 4th split decision win earlier today in a bout that is being talked about as one of the worst decisions of the year.
Kameda, who traveled outside of Japan for the first time in over 5 years was expected to deal easily with Korea's very own Jung-Oh Son (20-5-2, 6). Instead however Kameda was given a lesson in over-looking an opponent and was very, very lucky to escape with his title in arguably the most controversial contest of his career.
The Kameda controversy dates back to when Kameda first won a world title way back in 2006 when he took a split decision over Venezuela's Juan Jose Landaeta. That decision at the time was declared a fix by many in Japan. Since then Koki has been seen telling younger brother Daiki Kameda to foul against Daisuke Naito, and had claimed controversial decisions over Hugo Ruiz, David De La Mora (although a unanimous decision it was controversial) and Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym. He has now added the decision over Son.
Early in the bout Kameda looked like he was on course for a routine defense. He took a number of the early rounds and looked relaxed in front the Korean challenger. By the end of the fourth round however things had started to change with Son beginning to establish himself in the bout. Unfortunately for Koki the more Son was able to establish himself the tougher things got, and in round 10 Son scored a knockdown as Koki took a knee.
By the end of round 11 many felt Koki would need a knockdown of his own just to retain his title with a draw. Whilst he certainly won the final round, there was no knockdown.
Some how, despite being dropped, stunned and generally on the receiving end of the better shots Koki retained hit title with scores of 114.5-114 and 115-112 in his favour whilst just a sole judge agreed with the view of many scoring it 115.5-113 for Son who really should have been the new champion. The Korean was inspired and very, very harshly robbed in his own country.
Kameda, who traveled outside of Japan for the first time in over 5 years was expected to deal easily with Korea's very own Jung-Oh Son (20-5-2, 6). Instead however Kameda was given a lesson in over-looking an opponent and was very, very lucky to escape with his title in arguably the most controversial contest of his career.
The Kameda controversy dates back to when Kameda first won a world title way back in 2006 when he took a split decision over Venezuela's Juan Jose Landaeta. That decision at the time was declared a fix by many in Japan. Since then Koki has been seen telling younger brother Daiki Kameda to foul against Daisuke Naito, and had claimed controversial decisions over Hugo Ruiz, David De La Mora (although a unanimous decision it was controversial) and Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym. He has now added the decision over Son.
Early in the bout Kameda looked like he was on course for a routine defense. He took a number of the early rounds and looked relaxed in front the Korean challenger. By the end of the fourth round however things had started to change with Son beginning to establish himself in the bout. Unfortunately for Koki the more Son was able to establish himself the tougher things got, and in round 10 Son scored a knockdown as Koki took a knee.
By the end of round 11 many felt Koki would need a knockdown of his own just to retain his title with a draw. Whilst he certainly won the final round, there was no knockdown.
Some how, despite being dropped, stunned and generally on the receiving end of the better shots Koki retained hit title with scores of 114.5-114 and 115-112 in his favour whilst just a sole judge agreed with the view of many scoring it 115.5-113 for Son who really should have been the new champion. The Korean was inspired and very, very harshly robbed in his own country.
Friday, 15 November 2013
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai v Hirofumi Mukai
Srisaket Sor Rungvisia (23-3-1, 21), who made such a statement earlier this year when he destroyed Yota Sato, successfully made the first defense of his WBC Super Flyweight title as he defeated another Japanese fighter, this time Hirofumi Mukai (9-3-1, 1).
Unfortunately for Mukai he proved, like many Japanese fighters, that he was simply too tough for his own good.
The first round saw Mukai starting well for the first 20 seconds or so before Srisaket imposed himself on the fight and forced the Japanese fighter to think twice about opening up. For Mukai it was unfortunate that he wasn't just up against one of the most fierce fighters in the sport but also the crowd who cheered every punch Srisaket landed.
If the first round was bad for Mukai the second was worse with the Japanese fighter being dropped in the opening seconds. Although he got up and continued it wasn't a round he managed to even get a foot hold in as Srisaket pounded him with both hands. The end looked imminent as Srisaket entered "beat mode" and went on the war path.
Surprisingly Mukai managed to navigate his way through rounds 3 and 4 with out too much trouble. It wasn't that he was about to win the rounds or even make them competitive but he wasn't being savaged like one would have expected following the way Srisaket had ended round 2. In fact if anything it seemed like Mukai was managing to slowly build his confidence with some lovely work, though wasn't doing nearly enough to take the round and was being backed up too easily.
After 4 rounds the judges all agreed with the only possible score one could have had the bout, 40-35 in favour of Srisaket.
Having survived rounds 3 and 4 Mukai managed to get everything going in round 5, a round that fought almost entirely in the pocket with both men having success. It was by far the best round for Mukai and one that you wouldn't begrudge giving him, although it did at times appear that Srisaket was tiring somewhat. The success for Mukai in the fifth continued in to the sixth as Mukai began to have the last word in the exchanges, albeit lesser words than those of Srisaket.
Unfortunately for Mukai 2 minutes of good work in round 6 was undone by a huge assault in the final minute by Srisaket who just stole the round on my card as he attempted to put an end to the proceedings. Mukai, who was genuinely hammered late in the round, refused to go down a second time.
If round 6 had ended badly for Mukai then round 7 was nothing more than a continuation of that. Srisaket set off to break Mukai using hard body shots and by the end of the round it appeared the were having a serious effect on the challenger. Mukai had managed to see out the round, but there was little left in the tank.
In the eighth round Mukai must have wished he was in the UK as he was given a genuine beating. His boxing was falling apart, Srisaket was starting to abuse him and I was wondering how he was managing to stay on his feet. By now it was clear Mukai needed a miracle and in boxing they don't tend to happen.
Down by scores of 80-71, 79-72, twice, on the scorecards it really should have been time for Mukai's corner to have saved their brave charge. Instead they sent him out for round 9. It was unnecessary. Within seconds of the round starting Mukai was hurt and Srisaket let loose as he tried to force the referees hand. Unfortunately for Mukai all the referee did was warn Srisaket for hitting and holding. Whilst that bought him some respite in theory it really just prolonged the beating another 30 seconds before Mukai's corner finally threw in the towel.
Oddly this was a bout where both men genuinely impressed me. Mukai could fair very well if he was put in with a lighter puncher, that is if there much of Mukai left mentally after this contest. Srisaket seems to always impress and I've no doubt that he could beat any fighter currently active at 115lbs. He's a genuine monster.
Unfortunately for Mukai he proved, like many Japanese fighters, that he was simply too tough for his own good.
The first round saw Mukai starting well for the first 20 seconds or so before Srisaket imposed himself on the fight and forced the Japanese fighter to think twice about opening up. For Mukai it was unfortunate that he wasn't just up against one of the most fierce fighters in the sport but also the crowd who cheered every punch Srisaket landed.
If the first round was bad for Mukai the second was worse with the Japanese fighter being dropped in the opening seconds. Although he got up and continued it wasn't a round he managed to even get a foot hold in as Srisaket pounded him with both hands. The end looked imminent as Srisaket entered "beat mode" and went on the war path.
Surprisingly Mukai managed to navigate his way through rounds 3 and 4 with out too much trouble. It wasn't that he was about to win the rounds or even make them competitive but he wasn't being savaged like one would have expected following the way Srisaket had ended round 2. In fact if anything it seemed like Mukai was managing to slowly build his confidence with some lovely work, though wasn't doing nearly enough to take the round and was being backed up too easily.
After 4 rounds the judges all agreed with the only possible score one could have had the bout, 40-35 in favour of Srisaket.
Having survived rounds 3 and 4 Mukai managed to get everything going in round 5, a round that fought almost entirely in the pocket with both men having success. It was by far the best round for Mukai and one that you wouldn't begrudge giving him, although it did at times appear that Srisaket was tiring somewhat. The success for Mukai in the fifth continued in to the sixth as Mukai began to have the last word in the exchanges, albeit lesser words than those of Srisaket.
Unfortunately for Mukai 2 minutes of good work in round 6 was undone by a huge assault in the final minute by Srisaket who just stole the round on my card as he attempted to put an end to the proceedings. Mukai, who was genuinely hammered late in the round, refused to go down a second time.
If round 6 had ended badly for Mukai then round 7 was nothing more than a continuation of that. Srisaket set off to break Mukai using hard body shots and by the end of the round it appeared the were having a serious effect on the challenger. Mukai had managed to see out the round, but there was little left in the tank.
In the eighth round Mukai must have wished he was in the UK as he was given a genuine beating. His boxing was falling apart, Srisaket was starting to abuse him and I was wondering how he was managing to stay on his feet. By now it was clear Mukai needed a miracle and in boxing they don't tend to happen.
Down by scores of 80-71, 79-72, twice, on the scorecards it really should have been time for Mukai's corner to have saved their brave charge. Instead they sent him out for round 9. It was unnecessary. Within seconds of the round starting Mukai was hurt and Srisaket let loose as he tried to force the referees hand. Unfortunately for Mukai all the referee did was warn Srisaket for hitting and holding. Whilst that bought him some respite in theory it really just prolonged the beating another 30 seconds before Mukai's corner finally threw in the towel.
Oddly this was a bout where both men genuinely impressed me. Mukai could fair very well if he was put in with a lighter puncher, that is if there much of Mukai left mentally after this contest. Srisaket seems to always impress and I've no doubt that he could beat any fighter currently active at 115lbs. He's a genuine monster.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Shinsuke Yamanaka v Alberto Guevara
Right now the Bantamweight division is all but dominated by Japanese fighters. Three of them hold world titles and several of them are highly ranked challengers. Of them all however it's hard to argue with Shinsuke Yamanaka (20-0-2, 15), the WBC champion, being the best. Not Just the best of the Japanese Bantamweights but of Bantamweights worldwide.
Earlier today Yamanaka showed why he is so highly regarded as he became the first man to stop Alberto Guevara (18-2, 6) in what turned out to be a highly impressive result.
Despite taking the victory in the end Yamanaka didn't look like the divisional kingpin early in the fight. In fact for the first 4 rounds it was Guevara who looked like the special fighter using his movement and speed to almost confuse Yamanaka at times. Unfortunately for Guevara his work wasn't really rewarded by the judges who had him behind after the first 4 rounds, rather harshly.
Following the slow start by the Japanese fighter things started to turn around with Yamanaka claiming his first round in the fifth. From then on the bout swung from being competitive to being one sided as Yamanaka started to land his potent left hand.
In round 8 Guevara was forced to feel the power of Yamanaka in a bad way as he was dropped twice. By then Guevara's elusiveness had left him and he was becoming little more than a sitting duck for the power of the champion. Fortunately for the challenger he wasn't forced to take too much more as a knockdown in round 9 saw Guevara taking the 10 count.
Earlier today Yamanaka showed why he is so highly regarded as he became the first man to stop Alberto Guevara (18-2, 6) in what turned out to be a highly impressive result.
Despite taking the victory in the end Yamanaka didn't look like the divisional kingpin early in the fight. In fact for the first 4 rounds it was Guevara who looked like the special fighter using his movement and speed to almost confuse Yamanaka at times. Unfortunately for Guevara his work wasn't really rewarded by the judges who had him behind after the first 4 rounds, rather harshly.
Following the slow start by the Japanese fighter things started to turn around with Yamanaka claiming his first round in the fifth. From then on the bout swung from being competitive to being one sided as Yamanaka started to land his potent left hand.
In round 8 Guevara was forced to feel the power of Yamanaka in a bad way as he was dropped twice. By then Guevara's elusiveness had left him and he was becoming little more than a sitting duck for the power of the champion. Fortunately for the challenger he wasn't forced to take too much more as a knockdown in round 9 saw Guevara taking the 10 count.
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Kazuto Ioka v Kwanthai Sithmorseng
Japanese boxing youngster Kazuto Ioka (13-0, 9) successfully retained his WBA Light Flyweight title earlier today as he overcame Thailand's Kwanthai Sithmorseng (43-2-1, 22) in an impressive and one-sided affair.
Ioka, a former WBA/WBC Minimumweight champion started the bout carefully trying to box his way into the bout behind his jab. It was a worrying sign for the Thai that he couldn't actually get around the jab of the champion in first stanza, and from then on Ioka merely moved up through the gears.
Although Kwanthai was brave and took a bit of a beating, especially in round 5 he looked to have the toughness to see out a few more rounds against Ioka, who appeared to be using the bout as a sparring session at times. It was impressive that Ioka was fighting in first gear and making a former world champion look out classed, out skilled and generally second rate.
In the seventh round Ioka moved up a gear and this time he forced Kwanthai to the canvas where the Thai took the 10 count as Ioka recorded his second successful defense of his title.
Ioka, a former WBA/WBC Minimumweight champion started the bout carefully trying to box his way into the bout behind his jab. It was a worrying sign for the Thai that he couldn't actually get around the jab of the champion in first stanza, and from then on Ioka merely moved up through the gears.
Although Kwanthai was brave and took a bit of a beating, especially in round 5 he looked to have the toughness to see out a few more rounds against Ioka, who appeared to be using the bout as a sparring session at times. It was impressive that Ioka was fighting in first gear and making a former world champion look out classed, out skilled and generally second rate.
In the seventh round Ioka moved up a gear and this time he forced Kwanthai to the canvas where the Thai took the 10 count as Ioka recorded his second successful defense of his title.
Ryo Miyazaki v Jesus Silvestre
Japanese fighter Ryo Miyazaki (20-0-3, 11) successfully defended his WBA Minimumweight title for the second time earlier today as he unified the "regular title" and the "interim title" via a very hard fought decision victory over Mexican Jesus Silvestre (27-4, 20).
The bout started with the over-looked and talented Mexican fighting on the front foot, using a determined pressure style to for Miyazaki backwards. Miyazaki seemed to realise early on that he was up against a talented and strong fighter and instead of fighting toe-to-toe the Japanese fighter tried fighting off the back foot.
A clash of heads in round 2 saw the doctor called for to look over Miyazaki though the Japanese fighter seemed to be fine and immediately turned back to trying to out box his Mexican opponent.. Although it was Miyazaki who looked to be the more technically skilled of the two men, it was the pressure of Silvestre that was really controlling the ring and forcing a fight to happen.
Although neither man was too bothered from the head clash in the second clash of heads another, much more serious one occurred in the fifth round with both men feeling the effects. This headclash seemed to spring real life into the bout as the two men traded up on the inside and and give us the sort of action fans would have been expecting from the off.
It was obvious by the mid way point that Miyazaki was really struggling with Silvetsre, he was unable to force the Mexican to respect him and likewise he was unable to force Silvestre backwards, essentially forcing him to to use his legs as much as his hands.
Whilst the headclashes may have caused the cuts on Miyazaki's face the sixth round merely saw them worsen as both men picked up the pace in a genuinely excellent round, the first first stand out round of the bout.
Following Miyazaki's success in round 6 he went up a level and began to box to actually box, picking his shots and get in and out. This made him look a class ahead of Silvestre for the first time. The Mexican however proved not to be discouraged as he continued to apply pressure though for the first time he was beginning to be forced backwards.
Miyazaki's success seemed to breathe a new confidence in him and in round 10 we again saw trading, and a headclash. This time the clash lead to Miyazaki's right eye bleeding leaving him with cuts on both of his eyes, giving Silvestre two big targets to aim for.
With blood sticking to his face Miyazaki got on his bike in round 11 and tried to avoid any sort of a confrontation, that was until the warrior instinct kicked in late in the round and Miyazaki engaged in a turf ware with Silvestre. It wasn't pretty but it was thoroughly exciting with both men being forced to take bombs as the round ended in some of the best action I've seen all year.
With the fight still on the line going in to the final round both men gave it their all in an attempt to take home the decision. Unfortunately for the Mexican he was unable to do enough, in Japan, to defeat the home fighter, losing by a majorly thin majority decisions with scores of 115-114, 115-113 and 114-114 being rendered.
Had the fight been fought outside of Japan we'd have not been shocked to have seen the decision go the other way, though the fight wasn't a robbery, it was certainly a fight with no clear winner as both men each had a clean to many of the early rounds. In fact if anything it was Miyazaki's small run of of rounds in the middle of the bout that actually saw him claiming the victory here, despite Silvestre arguably taking the final 2 or 3 rounds.
After the bout Miyazaki said he would vacate and move up a division, looking at this bout it was seem 108 or 112 would be best for him, and in fact at 112 he could face Akira Yaegashi in what would be a nail on FOTY contender.
The bout started with the over-looked and talented Mexican fighting on the front foot, using a determined pressure style to for Miyazaki backwards. Miyazaki seemed to realise early on that he was up against a talented and strong fighter and instead of fighting toe-to-toe the Japanese fighter tried fighting off the back foot.
A clash of heads in round 2 saw the doctor called for to look over Miyazaki though the Japanese fighter seemed to be fine and immediately turned back to trying to out box his Mexican opponent.. Although it was Miyazaki who looked to be the more technically skilled of the two men, it was the pressure of Silvestre that was really controlling the ring and forcing a fight to happen.
Although neither man was too bothered from the head clash in the second clash of heads another, much more serious one occurred in the fifth round with both men feeling the effects. This headclash seemed to spring real life into the bout as the two men traded up on the inside and and give us the sort of action fans would have been expecting from the off.
It was obvious by the mid way point that Miyazaki was really struggling with Silvetsre, he was unable to force the Mexican to respect him and likewise he was unable to force Silvestre backwards, essentially forcing him to to use his legs as much as his hands.
Whilst the headclashes may have caused the cuts on Miyazaki's face the sixth round merely saw them worsen as both men picked up the pace in a genuinely excellent round, the first first stand out round of the bout.
Following Miyazaki's success in round 6 he went up a level and began to box to actually box, picking his shots and get in and out. This made him look a class ahead of Silvestre for the first time. The Mexican however proved not to be discouraged as he continued to apply pressure though for the first time he was beginning to be forced backwards.
Miyazaki's success seemed to breathe a new confidence in him and in round 10 we again saw trading, and a headclash. This time the clash lead to Miyazaki's right eye bleeding leaving him with cuts on both of his eyes, giving Silvestre two big targets to aim for.
With blood sticking to his face Miyazaki got on his bike in round 11 and tried to avoid any sort of a confrontation, that was until the warrior instinct kicked in late in the round and Miyazaki engaged in a turf ware with Silvestre. It wasn't pretty but it was thoroughly exciting with both men being forced to take bombs as the round ended in some of the best action I've seen all year.
With the fight still on the line going in to the final round both men gave it their all in an attempt to take home the decision. Unfortunately for the Mexican he was unable to do enough, in Japan, to defeat the home fighter, losing by a majorly thin majority decisions with scores of 115-114, 115-113 and 114-114 being rendered.
Had the fight been fought outside of Japan we'd have not been shocked to have seen the decision go the other way, though the fight wasn't a robbery, it was certainly a fight with no clear winner as both men each had a clean to many of the early rounds. In fact if anything it was Miyazaki's small run of of rounds in the middle of the bout that actually saw him claiming the victory here, despite Silvestre arguably taking the final 2 or 3 rounds.
After the bout Miyazaki said he would vacate and move up a division, looking at this bout it was seem 108 or 112 would be best for him, and in fact at 112 he could face Akira Yaegashi in what would be a nail on FOTY contender.
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Daiki Kameda v Rodrigo Guerrero
It's not often that a fighting family really dominates. Sure in recent years the Klitschko's have thoroughly controlled the Heavyweight division but they've been the only family of note to really dominate in a while.
This past summer however the Kameda brother's have really taken over in the lower divisions. Right now both Tomoki and Koki are Bantamweight title holders and they've just been joined by middle child Daiki (29-3, 18) who successfully became a 2-weight world champion earlier today as he out pointed Mexican Rodrigo Guerrero (19-5-1, 12) for the IBF title.
The fight started in a genuinely tedious manner. Daiki fought with a very unexciting hit-and-run style that whilst won him many of the early rounds didn't make for a very appealing to watch contest. in fact for many of the early rounds it was fair to say that clean action was kept to a minimal with effective singles from Daiki and little of note from Guerrero who struggled to pin down the elusive Japanese fighter.
From the first 5 rounds of the bouts the sole moment of joy for Guerrero appeared to have been a low blow he took that saw Daiki deducted a point. Lets be fair, if a guy getting punched in the nuts is his only highlight you can sort of see the hole he was in come the start of the sixth round.
It as in round 6 that Guerrero began to have his first real success as he managed to take Kameda to the body, almost as if he realised that the head can move but the body can't. It was a sound idea and one that he perhaps should have used from the opening bell rather than waiting several rounds to start with.
The success of Guerrero's grew from a decent round 6 to a very round 8 and 9 as he finally began to connect on Daiki with some regularity. It was only rounds 6-9 that you could make a really strong case for Guerrero winning with out many complaints.
It seemed, going in to round 10, that the success of Guerrero was going to grow and grow and that if continued the fight was going to be very difficult to score. Instead however Daiki seemed to realise he was in a fight and rather than try to move to avoid the pressure he began to stand his ground. The fact Daiki couldn't create the space in round 10 saw him fighting fire-with-fire as the two men traded attacks with Daiki's being a genuine eye as he tried to get Guerrero out of there. The Mexican weathered the storm but was forced to concede the round.
Whilst round 10 had been a fight changer Daiki failed to capitalise on it as he was deducted a second point in round 11 that saw some doubt brought on to the scorecards, he did however do enough to take 19 points from the final 2 rounds and make sure of a decision in his favour, despite what some may think.
Although I struggle to agree with the 117-109 card scored in favour of Daiki, the other two cards 116-110 and 114-112 both feel about right with Daiki certainly deserving the decision but the deductions did make things much closer on the cards than perhaps they should have been.
This past summer however the Kameda brother's have really taken over in the lower divisions. Right now both Tomoki and Koki are Bantamweight title holders and they've just been joined by middle child Daiki (29-3, 18) who successfully became a 2-weight world champion earlier today as he out pointed Mexican Rodrigo Guerrero (19-5-1, 12) for the IBF title.
The fight started in a genuinely tedious manner. Daiki fought with a very unexciting hit-and-run style that whilst won him many of the early rounds didn't make for a very appealing to watch contest. in fact for many of the early rounds it was fair to say that clean action was kept to a minimal with effective singles from Daiki and little of note from Guerrero who struggled to pin down the elusive Japanese fighter.
From the first 5 rounds of the bouts the sole moment of joy for Guerrero appeared to have been a low blow he took that saw Daiki deducted a point. Lets be fair, if a guy getting punched in the nuts is his only highlight you can sort of see the hole he was in come the start of the sixth round.
It as in round 6 that Guerrero began to have his first real success as he managed to take Kameda to the body, almost as if he realised that the head can move but the body can't. It was a sound idea and one that he perhaps should have used from the opening bell rather than waiting several rounds to start with.
The success of Guerrero's grew from a decent round 6 to a very round 8 and 9 as he finally began to connect on Daiki with some regularity. It was only rounds 6-9 that you could make a really strong case for Guerrero winning with out many complaints.
It seemed, going in to round 10, that the success of Guerrero was going to grow and grow and that if continued the fight was going to be very difficult to score. Instead however Daiki seemed to realise he was in a fight and rather than try to move to avoid the pressure he began to stand his ground. The fact Daiki couldn't create the space in round 10 saw him fighting fire-with-fire as the two men traded attacks with Daiki's being a genuine eye as he tried to get Guerrero out of there. The Mexican weathered the storm but was forced to concede the round.
Whilst round 10 had been a fight changer Daiki failed to capitalise on it as he was deducted a second point in round 11 that saw some doubt brought on to the scorecards, he did however do enough to take 19 points from the final 2 rounds and make sure of a decision in his favour, despite what some may think.
Although I struggle to agree with the 117-109 card scored in favour of Daiki, the other two cards 116-110 and 114-112 both feel about right with Daiki certainly deserving the decision but the deductions did make things much closer on the cards than perhaps they should have been.
Denkaosan Kaovichit v Nobuo Nashiro
In a highly entertaining battle for the "interim" WBA Super Flyweight title Thai legend Denkaosan Kaovichit (62-3-1, 26) managed to out box and out point Japanese hard man Nobuo Nashiro (19-6-1, 13), in what is possibly the last major bout either of the men will have.
The bout started well for Kaovichit who used his superior speed in the early rounds to throw and land combinations on his tough but flat footed foe who for the first 2 or 3 rounds really struggled to get into range. Every punch Kaovichit threw seemed to raise cheers from the crowd who were showing their support even when Kaovichit was falling well short with his shots.
It wasn't until the fourth round that Nashiro managed to get any real success as his relentless pressure seemed to begin to pay off. Unfortunately despite the round being much closer than the first few Kaovichit did manage to just do enough to claim it, as he did again in the fifth round. By now though the crowd were becoming more and more subdued, the combinations of Kaovichit had gone and instead they'd been replaced by by singles as he tried to avoid a tear up with Nashiro.
By the start of round 6 it was appearing as if the fight was beginning to turn in the direction of the Japanese fighter who was growing in to the bout. In fact by the end of round 6 Kaovichit was looking every bit of his 37 years with his legs starting to look stationary and his straights becoming more and more pushed.
Just as Kaovichit was looking like he was tiring he managed to have a much better round as Nashiro's pressure really failed to have any effect. This was the first round since early in the bout that Nashiro was made to clearly look second best, though Kaovichit himself didn't look particularly great as his own work rate dropped significantly.
Rounds 8 and 9 were highlighted by some of the best action of the fight as the two men stood toe to-toe and traded shots inside. Whilst the 8th was Kaovichit's the 9th was certainly Nashiro's as he appeared to realise he'd need a stoppage to take home the title. Surprisingly Kaovichit took the bombs of Nashiro without too many issues though it was obvious that this was just the start of a storm that he'd have to weather.
In round 10 Nashiro continued his assault and at one point the Thai commentators did seem a little worried by how many shots Kaovichit was being forced to take before he managed to find a second wind and throw his first notable combination in several rounds.
Despite Kaovichit ending round 10 well that was really his last success as Nashiro went all out for the stoppage in the championship rounds. The pressure and assault from Nashiro saw him landing a steady stream of right hands through round 11 though Kaovichit tied up regular and smothered much of Nashiro's offense as he did his best to see out the round.
After holding and wrestling through much of round 11 Kaovichit managed to do the same the following round as he managed to see off Nashiro's late charge, a charge that probably began a round too late for the Japanese fighter who was unable to over-turn a large points deficit on the cards of at least 2 judges (I believe the result was a split decision though will correct this if I'm wrong when I do get the official decision.
The bout started well for Kaovichit who used his superior speed in the early rounds to throw and land combinations on his tough but flat footed foe who for the first 2 or 3 rounds really struggled to get into range. Every punch Kaovichit threw seemed to raise cheers from the crowd who were showing their support even when Kaovichit was falling well short with his shots.
It wasn't until the fourth round that Nashiro managed to get any real success as his relentless pressure seemed to begin to pay off. Unfortunately despite the round being much closer than the first few Kaovichit did manage to just do enough to claim it, as he did again in the fifth round. By now though the crowd were becoming more and more subdued, the combinations of Kaovichit had gone and instead they'd been replaced by by singles as he tried to avoid a tear up with Nashiro.
By the start of round 6 it was appearing as if the fight was beginning to turn in the direction of the Japanese fighter who was growing in to the bout. In fact by the end of round 6 Kaovichit was looking every bit of his 37 years with his legs starting to look stationary and his straights becoming more and more pushed.
Just as Kaovichit was looking like he was tiring he managed to have a much better round as Nashiro's pressure really failed to have any effect. This was the first round since early in the bout that Nashiro was made to clearly look second best, though Kaovichit himself didn't look particularly great as his own work rate dropped significantly.
Rounds 8 and 9 were highlighted by some of the best action of the fight as the two men stood toe to-toe and traded shots inside. Whilst the 8th was Kaovichit's the 9th was certainly Nashiro's as he appeared to realise he'd need a stoppage to take home the title. Surprisingly Kaovichit took the bombs of Nashiro without too many issues though it was obvious that this was just the start of a storm that he'd have to weather.
In round 10 Nashiro continued his assault and at one point the Thai commentators did seem a little worried by how many shots Kaovichit was being forced to take before he managed to find a second wind and throw his first notable combination in several rounds.
Despite Kaovichit ending round 10 well that was really his last success as Nashiro went all out for the stoppage in the championship rounds. The pressure and assault from Nashiro saw him landing a steady stream of right hands through round 11 though Kaovichit tied up regular and smothered much of Nashiro's offense as he did his best to see out the round.
After holding and wrestling through much of round 11 Kaovichit managed to do the same the following round as he managed to see off Nashiro's late charge, a charge that probably began a round too late for the Japanese fighter who was unable to over-turn a large points deficit on the cards of at least 2 judges (I believe the result was a split decision though will correct this if I'm wrong when I do get the official decision.
Saturday, 31 August 2013
Adrian Hernandez v Atsushi Kakutani
Mexican Adrian Hernandez (28-2-1, 17) did as he was expected on Saturday night as he defeated, and stopped, Japanese fighter Atsushi Kakutani (13-4-1, 6) in a defence of the WBC Light Flyweight title.
Hernandez, who was defending the belt for the third time this year was in unexpected trouble in the opening round when he was dropped though he showed the Mexican fighting spiriting by getting back to his feet and battling back hard in what turned out to be a very entertaining contest.
The fight had some highlight real exchanges in rounds 2 and 3 and it was obvious that one man or the other was going to be stopped sooner or later.
The beginning of the end occurred early in round 4 as Kakutani was sent to the canvas. The Japanese warrior managed to recover to his feet but his legs never looked like they were with him and he was sent down again and then again before the referee was forced to intervene calling a half to the bout just 72 seconds in to round 4.
With Kakutani managing to drop Hernandez it could well be that the champion is all but done at the 108lb limit, a limit that his body just seems too big for. If Ohashi can drag Hernandez over to Japan there is every chance that Noaya Inoue could well face him in what would be Inoue's 5th pro bout and on this performance I wouldn't bet against Inoue
Hernandez, who was defending the belt for the third time this year was in unexpected trouble in the opening round when he was dropped though he showed the Mexican fighting spiriting by getting back to his feet and battling back hard in what turned out to be a very entertaining contest.
The fight had some highlight real exchanges in rounds 2 and 3 and it was obvious that one man or the other was going to be stopped sooner or later.
The beginning of the end occurred early in round 4 as Kakutani was sent to the canvas. The Japanese warrior managed to recover to his feet but his legs never looked like they were with him and he was sent down again and then again before the referee was forced to intervene calling a half to the bout just 72 seconds in to round 4.
With Kakutani managing to drop Hernandez it could well be that the champion is all but done at the 108lb limit, a limit that his body just seems too big for. If Ohashi can drag Hernandez over to Japan there is every chance that Noaya Inoue could well face him in what would be Inoue's 5th pro bout and on this performance I wouldn't bet against Inoue
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Omar Andres Narvaez v Hiroyuki Hisataka
Argentinian great Omar Andres Narvez (40-1-2, 21) successfully defended his WBO Super Flyweight title in very impressive fashion stopping Japanese challenger Hiroyuki Hisataka (20-11-1, 10).
It was obvious from the first round that Narvaez was the more skilled fighter and although Hisataka looked capable and showed some impressive elusiveness he was struggling to land his own shots on the trick South American southpaw. Unfortunately for Hisataka the longer the bout went on the less elusive he got as Narvaez went through the gears.
For the first 4 rounds Hisataka was having some success, though it appeared that his success were becoming more and more scarce as Narvaez moved from one gear to another allowing Hisataka to feel confident before landing a follow of shots upstairs and downstairs. It really was looking like a boxing masterclass at times by the diminutive veteran.
By round 5 it seems Narvaez had had enough of playing with his prey and he moved up yet again as he finished the round with a giant assault.
If the attack at the end of round signified anything it was that Narvaez was wanting a stoppage and in round 6 he really went for it dominating Hisataka with shots that sent the Japanese fighter back tracking from one side of the ring to another as he searched for some space. Unfortunately for the Japanese fighter Narvaez could smell blood and he kept hammering away with shots probably dominating in a clear enough fashion to have taken the round 10-8.
Hisataka, knowing he had to show something, came out fast for round 7 with a long attack. Unfortunately for Hisataka his shots were predictable and mostly blocked by Narvaez who came back hard with his own onslaught which continued viciously into the following round as Narvaez really went for the stoppage.
Although Hisataka managed to see out rounds 8 and 9 it was obvious that the shots were taking an effect and in round 10 Narvaez connected with several hard, clean body shots that appeared to take away what little fight Hisataka had left. With Hisataka clearly hurt from the shots to the midsection Narvaez launched one final attack with the referee this time stepping in to stop the bout before Hisataka took any more, unnecessary, shots.
It was obvious from the first round that Narvaez was the more skilled fighter and although Hisataka looked capable and showed some impressive elusiveness he was struggling to land his own shots on the trick South American southpaw. Unfortunately for Hisataka the longer the bout went on the less elusive he got as Narvaez went through the gears.
For the first 4 rounds Hisataka was having some success, though it appeared that his success were becoming more and more scarce as Narvaez moved from one gear to another allowing Hisataka to feel confident before landing a follow of shots upstairs and downstairs. It really was looking like a boxing masterclass at times by the diminutive veteran.
By round 5 it seems Narvaez had had enough of playing with his prey and he moved up yet again as he finished the round with a giant assault.
If the attack at the end of round signified anything it was that Narvaez was wanting a stoppage and in round 6 he really went for it dominating Hisataka with shots that sent the Japanese fighter back tracking from one side of the ring to another as he searched for some space. Unfortunately for the Japanese fighter Narvaez could smell blood and he kept hammering away with shots probably dominating in a clear enough fashion to have taken the round 10-8.
Hisataka, knowing he had to show something, came out fast for round 7 with a long attack. Unfortunately for Hisataka his shots were predictable and mostly blocked by Narvaez who came back hard with his own onslaught which continued viciously into the following round as Narvaez really went for the stoppage.
Although Hisataka managed to see out rounds 8 and 9 it was obvious that the shots were taking an effect and in round 10 Narvaez connected with several hard, clean body shots that appeared to take away what little fight Hisataka had left. With Hisataka clearly hurt from the shots to the midsection Narvaez launched one final attack with the referee this time stepping in to stop the bout before Hisataka took any more, unnecessary, shots.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Takashi Miura v Sergio Thompson
In a barnstormer in Cancun WBC Super Featherweight champion Takashi Miura (26-2-2, 19) managed to successfully defend his title over-coming hard hitting Mexican Sergio Thompson (27-3, 25).
The fight started with a typical feeling out round before the two men really got down two work in round two with both trading monstrous bombs. Unfortunately for the Mexican challenger it appeared the Japanese champion was the bigger puncher and he managed to drop Thompson in the second. A follow up attack from Miura seemed almost certain to see of the challenger who was wobbly legged but miraculously he managed to be saved by the bell.
Miura built on his success in round 2 by really taking the action to Thompson in rounds 3 and 4 though he couldn't again drop the tough Mexican before the opening scoring was read out for the first time. The scoring after 4 favoured Miura, much to the chagrin of the pro-Thompson crowd who loudly booed the announcement.
Thompson had his first notable success in round 5 a round he boxed well in and seemed to clearly win by ditching the brawling tactics and instead boxing and moving, a strategy that he had ignored in the first rounds as he chose to fight a fighter.
Despite the success of his boxing in the fifth Thompson seemed intent on proving he was the better fighter and he was dropped in round 6 as a result of fighting with Miura, despite actually hurting Miura prior to being dropped.
In round 7 it appeared the Mexican had learned hi lesson and got back to his boxing avoiding a tear up and again winning a round by using his actually skills and not trying to out tough a better brawler. It was possibly only the second round Thompson had won but showed that he did have the skills needed to make Miura look bad.
After losing round 7 Miura went on the attack in round 8 and was himself dropped by Thompson who appeared to have began a comeback of his own turning a 3 point swing in the space of just 2 rounds.
Unfortunately for Thompson however his comeback was short lived and despite a good round 9 he was really out fought in round 10 as Miura hammered him around the ring looking for a knockout. Although the KO didn't come for Miura it was obvious that Thompson didn't have much left in the tank and Miura went for the KO again in round 11.
Despite being hammered around the ring for 2 rounds Thompson had a good final round though it wasn't enough to turn around a big points deficit that he had found himself in and rightfully Miura took a decision to retain his title
The fight started with a typical feeling out round before the two men really got down two work in round two with both trading monstrous bombs. Unfortunately for the Mexican challenger it appeared the Japanese champion was the bigger puncher and he managed to drop Thompson in the second. A follow up attack from Miura seemed almost certain to see of the challenger who was wobbly legged but miraculously he managed to be saved by the bell.
Miura built on his success in round 2 by really taking the action to Thompson in rounds 3 and 4 though he couldn't again drop the tough Mexican before the opening scoring was read out for the first time. The scoring after 4 favoured Miura, much to the chagrin of the pro-Thompson crowd who loudly booed the announcement.
Thompson had his first notable success in round 5 a round he boxed well in and seemed to clearly win by ditching the brawling tactics and instead boxing and moving, a strategy that he had ignored in the first rounds as he chose to fight a fighter.
Despite the success of his boxing in the fifth Thompson seemed intent on proving he was the better fighter and he was dropped in round 6 as a result of fighting with Miura, despite actually hurting Miura prior to being dropped.
In round 7 it appeared the Mexican had learned hi lesson and got back to his boxing avoiding a tear up and again winning a round by using his actually skills and not trying to out tough a better brawler. It was possibly only the second round Thompson had won but showed that he did have the skills needed to make Miura look bad.
After losing round 7 Miura went on the attack in round 8 and was himself dropped by Thompson who appeared to have began a comeback of his own turning a 3 point swing in the space of just 2 rounds.
Unfortunately for Thompson however his comeback was short lived and despite a good round 9 he was really out fought in round 10 as Miura hammered him around the ring looking for a knockout. Although the KO didn't come for Miura it was obvious that Thompson didn't have much left in the tank and Miura went for the KO again in round 11.
Despite being hammered around the ring for 2 rounds Thompson had a good final round though it wasn't enough to turn around a big points deficit that he had found himself in and rightfully Miura took a decision to retain his title
Monday, 12 August 2013
Shinsuke Yamanaka v Jose Nieves
WBC Bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka (19-0-2, 14) was in a destructive mood earlier today as he made a statement.
Matched against the Puerto Rican Jose Nieves (22-3-3, 11), Yamanaka seemed to know he was in easy and went straight on to the offensive hurting Nieves pretty much the first time he landed. Rather than easing off on his over-matched opponent Yamanaka looked for a chance to land his explosive left hand and it wasn't long until he found that opportunity.
After throwing a feint to the body Yamanaka saw the opportunity for a left up top and connected with Nieves crumbling soon afterwards.
It looks unlikely that Yamanaka will ever have an easier title defense than this though unfortunately he probably made too much of a statement and has certainly made both Koki and Tomoki Kameda think twice about agreeing to a fight with him.
Matched against the Puerto Rican Jose Nieves (22-3-3, 11), Yamanaka seemed to know he was in easy and went straight on to the offensive hurting Nieves pretty much the first time he landed. Rather than easing off on his over-matched opponent Yamanaka looked for a chance to land his explosive left hand and it wasn't long until he found that opportunity.
After throwing a feint to the body Yamanaka saw the opportunity for a left up top and connected with Nieves crumbling soon afterwards.
It looks unlikely that Yamanaka will ever have an easier title defense than this though unfortunately he probably made too much of a statement and has certainly made both Koki and Tomoki Kameda think twice about agreeing to a fight with him.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Paulus Ambunda v Tomoki Kameda
In a memorable day for Japanese boxing fans Tomoki Kameda (28-0, 17) became the countries first ever WBO world champion.
Kameda, facing fellow unbeaten Paulus Ambunda (now 20-1, 10) of Namibia knew the pressure was on him to join brothers Daiki and Koki as a world champion and that's exactly what he did in a very professional fashion.
Ambuda, fighting outside of Namibia for the first time in his career, started the fight well applying constant pressure on the young Japanese fighter. Although forced on to the back foot from the off Kameda boxed well and took the first 2 or 3 rounds to figure out what Ambunda had in the locker.
Rather disappointingly Ambunda didn't seem to have much in the locker, especially in terms of plan B and as soon as Kameda figured out what Ambunda had to offer the bout started to go from competitive to relatively one sided as Kameda used his exceptional foot work to out outmaneuver Ambunda. With Ambunda following Kameda around the ring it was giving the Japanese fighter a lot of chances to counter and that's what he did at will with his sharp left hook and accurate jab that appeared unable to miss.
Although Ambunda had been able to do enough the first half of the bout to make things interesting he was thoroughly out classed in the second half of the bout as Kameda went through the gears and started landing more and more counters. By the 9th round Kameda had totally taken over the bout and was starting to turn on the style as he took full advantage of Ambunda not having a plan B.
With the challenger growing round after round he clearly took the 10th as Ambunda went from looking 1 dimensional to looking somewhat lost against a quicker, more skilled fighter fighter. It was clear by the end of the round that Kameda had taken an unassailable lead and Ambunda was going to have to force a stoppage if he was to retain his title.
Unfortunately for the Namibian he was unable to force an assault that ever troubled Kameda who cruised the final round and took a clear decision over the former champion.
This victory saw Tomoki Kameda joining brother Koki Kameda and Shinsuke Yamanaka as Japan take 3 of the 4 major alphabet belts in the 118lb division, the first time in history that this has happened.
Kameda, facing fellow unbeaten Paulus Ambunda (now 20-1, 10) of Namibia knew the pressure was on him to join brothers Daiki and Koki as a world champion and that's exactly what he did in a very professional fashion.
Ambuda, fighting outside of Namibia for the first time in his career, started the fight well applying constant pressure on the young Japanese fighter. Although forced on to the back foot from the off Kameda boxed well and took the first 2 or 3 rounds to figure out what Ambunda had in the locker.
Rather disappointingly Ambunda didn't seem to have much in the locker, especially in terms of plan B and as soon as Kameda figured out what Ambunda had to offer the bout started to go from competitive to relatively one sided as Kameda used his exceptional foot work to out outmaneuver Ambunda. With Ambunda following Kameda around the ring it was giving the Japanese fighter a lot of chances to counter and that's what he did at will with his sharp left hook and accurate jab that appeared unable to miss.
Although Ambunda had been able to do enough the first half of the bout to make things interesting he was thoroughly out classed in the second half of the bout as Kameda went through the gears and started landing more and more counters. By the 9th round Kameda had totally taken over the bout and was starting to turn on the style as he took full advantage of Ambunda not having a plan B.
With the challenger growing round after round he clearly took the 10th as Ambunda went from looking 1 dimensional to looking somewhat lost against a quicker, more skilled fighter fighter. It was clear by the end of the round that Kameda had taken an unassailable lead and Ambunda was going to have to force a stoppage if he was to retain his title.
Unfortunately for the Namibian he was unable to force an assault that ever troubled Kameda who cruised the final round and took a clear decision over the former champion.
This victory saw Tomoki Kameda joining brother Koki Kameda and Shinsuke Yamanaka as Japan take 3 of the 4 major alphabet belts in the 118lb division, the first time in history that this has happened.
Kompayak Porpramook v Koki Eto
After last Saturday's war between Omar Figueroa and Nihito Arakwa it may have been fair to say that it'd take a long time until we saw a better fight, surprisingly however it took less than a week as Kompayak Porpramook (50-5, 35) and Koki Eto (14-2-1, 10) put on a fight for the ages.
The opening round saw Eto boxing well behind his jab and using his reach for almost 2 minutes before exploding in to an all-out assault on the Thai who appeared to suffer a knockdown only moments from the bell. Instead of ruling a knockdown the referee gave Porpramook the benefit of the doubt and ruled it a slip.
The opening round had been a bit one sided though was fought and excellent pace, what few could have expected however was what was to come around the following 4 rounds were fought at an electric pace with both men just landing bombs on each other with little regard of what was coming their way. The action looked less like boxing and more like a video game as bombs were traded time and time again with neither man taking a backwards step.
Through the first 5 rounds the action was close with neither man really able to establish themselves as the dominant force. Surprisingly in round Eto seemed to get back on his toes and try boxing more than he had in the previous few rounds. Although the Japanese fighter tried to create the distance he would have liked he was dragged back in to a war by Porpramook who refused to allow this battle to turn into a boxing contests.
Unfortunately for Porpramook he appeared to start tiring as we entered the second half of the bout and although he held his own in round 7 he really struggled to in the later rounds as Eto called on unfathomable energy reserves to claim round 8.
Rather oddly the television broadcast cut away between rounds 8 and 9 and didn't return until round 10 meaning that I have no idea what happened in round 9, though from what I saw of round 10 Porpramook was starting to really struggle with the pace of the action.
In round 11 the Thai tank was looking completely void of gas and Eto, whilst clearly tiring himself easily out worked the Thai champion who was unable to keep up the pace with with Eto who's youth was doing him major favours in out working the champion.
Despite looking tired in round 11 Eto charged out in round 12 seemingly under the belief he needed a KO to take the title. His assault was something special straight from the bell and he had Porpramook reeling all over the place from the off. Unfortunately the first assault was eventually seen off by Porpramook who did all he could to remain upright.
Amazingly Eto would mount 1 more explosive attack, this time sending Porpramook down to the canvas for the only official knockdown of the fight.
I'm not sure whether the knockdown was needed or not but Eto had done enough to take the decision and become the first Japanese born fighter in history to claim a world title on Thai soil thanks to this amazing performance.
If you were unable to catch the fight on Thai Channel 7 make sure you find it online and watch it, you will not be disappointed!
The opening round saw Eto boxing well behind his jab and using his reach for almost 2 minutes before exploding in to an all-out assault on the Thai who appeared to suffer a knockdown only moments from the bell. Instead of ruling a knockdown the referee gave Porpramook the benefit of the doubt and ruled it a slip.
The opening round had been a bit one sided though was fought and excellent pace, what few could have expected however was what was to come around the following 4 rounds were fought at an electric pace with both men just landing bombs on each other with little regard of what was coming their way. The action looked less like boxing and more like a video game as bombs were traded time and time again with neither man taking a backwards step.
Through the first 5 rounds the action was close with neither man really able to establish themselves as the dominant force. Surprisingly in round Eto seemed to get back on his toes and try boxing more than he had in the previous few rounds. Although the Japanese fighter tried to create the distance he would have liked he was dragged back in to a war by Porpramook who refused to allow this battle to turn into a boxing contests.
Unfortunately for Porpramook he appeared to start tiring as we entered the second half of the bout and although he held his own in round 7 he really struggled to in the later rounds as Eto called on unfathomable energy reserves to claim round 8.
Rather oddly the television broadcast cut away between rounds 8 and 9 and didn't return until round 10 meaning that I have no idea what happened in round 9, though from what I saw of round 10 Porpramook was starting to really struggle with the pace of the action.
In round 11 the Thai tank was looking completely void of gas and Eto, whilst clearly tiring himself easily out worked the Thai champion who was unable to keep up the pace with with Eto who's youth was doing him major favours in out working the champion.
Despite looking tired in round 11 Eto charged out in round 12 seemingly under the belief he needed a KO to take the title. His assault was something special straight from the bell and he had Porpramook reeling all over the place from the off. Unfortunately the first assault was eventually seen off by Porpramook who did all he could to remain upright.
Amazingly Eto would mount 1 more explosive attack, this time sending Porpramook down to the canvas for the only official knockdown of the fight.
I'm not sure whether the knockdown was needed or not but Eto had done enough to take the decision and become the first Japanese born fighter in history to claim a world title on Thai soil thanks to this amazing performance.
If you were unable to catch the fight on Thai Channel 7 make sure you find it online and watch it, you will not be disappointed!
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