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.
Showing posts with label Minimumweight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minimumweight. Show all posts
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Merlito Sabillo v Carlos Buitrago
It seems incredibly rare now a days for the judges to actually get things right. They do occasionally. but the key word there is occasionally. Thankfully today saw one of those fights as the judges rightly scored a draw and saw Merlito Sabillo (23-0-1, 12) retain his WBO Minimumweight title against fellow unbeaten fighter Carlos Buitrago (27-0-1-1, 16).
The fight, at one point, looked like the title was going to change hands. After 3 rounds it was very hard to make a case for Sabillo winning. Buitrago was too quick, too skilled and too talented for Sabillo to continue to box with. The idea to box was a good one though one that failed to work in his favour.
Knowing he was behind Sabillo changed tactics in round 4 and started to try and cut the distance off to get to Buitrago. This began to work and although the champion may have lost round 4 he began to come back in to the fight over the following rounds, cutting the distance and unloading with sheer volume. This saw Sabillo turning the fight in his favour as he started to crawl back the rounds that he had lost early on.
Although Sabillo was coming back in to the fight in a big way, Buitrago was holding his own with the champion and seemed on the verge of a knockdown before Sabillo's street fighter mentality kicked in and he refused to go down instead fighting with more tenacity than ever.
By the time we got to the final bell it was obvious the fight was close and many had already began calls for a rematch. It had been competitive from the first round to the last and although both men had their clear rounds there was enough debate to see either man as the winner. This close and competitive nature was reflected perfectly in the score cards which were 115-113, 114-114 and 113-115.
I'll admit I've joined the chorus of people calling for a rematch and hopefully we'll get one sooner rather than later, something however tells me we could have these two in several bouts together and no one would come out as a clear winner barring a freak shot either way.
The fight, at one point, looked like the title was going to change hands. After 3 rounds it was very hard to make a case for Sabillo winning. Buitrago was too quick, too skilled and too talented for Sabillo to continue to box with. The idea to box was a good one though one that failed to work in his favour.
Knowing he was behind Sabillo changed tactics in round 4 and started to try and cut the distance off to get to Buitrago. This began to work and although the champion may have lost round 4 he began to come back in to the fight over the following rounds, cutting the distance and unloading with sheer volume. This saw Sabillo turning the fight in his favour as he started to crawl back the rounds that he had lost early on.
Although Sabillo was coming back in to the fight in a big way, Buitrago was holding his own with the champion and seemed on the verge of a knockdown before Sabillo's street fighter mentality kicked in and he refused to go down instead fighting with more tenacity than ever.
By the time we got to the final bell it was obvious the fight was close and many had already began calls for a rematch. It had been competitive from the first round to the last and although both men had their clear rounds there was enough debate to see either man as the winner. This close and competitive nature was reflected perfectly in the score cards which were 115-113, 114-114 and 113-115.
I'll admit I've joined the chorus of people calling for a rematch and hopefully we'll get one sooner rather than later, something however tells me we could have these two in several bouts together and no one would come out as a clear winner barring a freak shot either way.
Xiong Zhao Zhong v Lookrak Kiatmungmee
Some fights leave you wondering just why they were made and one such case was today's first world title fight which saw Xiong Zhao Zhong (22-4-1, 12) defend his WBC Minimumweight title.
Zhong, defending his belt for the second time, made very light work of Thailand's Lookrak Kiatmungmee (7-5, 4) a fighter who in normal circumstances wouldn't not have been a world title challenger. This was evident from round 1 and was just as obvious in round 5, the round in which Zhong stopped him with a body shot.
Fortunately however this one bout had easy explanation, Lookrak Kiatmungmee was a very late replacement for Omari Kimweri. The bout which was effectively a home coming for Zhong and with it being televised on CCTV 5 in China it was a massive televised show. With out a fight the Chinese public would have been rightfully pissed off and although they got a mismatch they at least got something.
The rumour now coming out is that Zhong may be in a unification bout in 2014 with IBF champion Katsunari Takayama, if Takayama is successful in his upcoming title defense next week. That would be a great fight and one I'm really hoping gets made.
Zhong, defending his belt for the second time, made very light work of Thailand's Lookrak Kiatmungmee (7-5, 4) a fighter who in normal circumstances wouldn't not have been a world title challenger. This was evident from round 1 and was just as obvious in round 5, the round in which Zhong stopped him with a body shot.
Fortunately however this one bout had easy explanation, Lookrak Kiatmungmee was a very late replacement for Omari Kimweri. The bout which was effectively a home coming for Zhong and with it being televised on CCTV 5 in China it was a massive televised show. With out a fight the Chinese public would have been rightfully pissed off and although they got a mismatch they at least got something.
The rumour now coming out is that Zhong may be in a unification bout in 2014 with IBF champion Katsunari Takayama, if Takayama is successful in his upcoming title defense next week. That would be a great fight and one I'm really hoping gets made.
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
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.
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Carlos Buitrago v Julian Yedras
The only male world title fight of the past weekend saw Nicaraguan prospect Carlos Buitrago (27-0-0-1, 16) claim the WBO "interim" Minimumweight title.
Buitrago, fighting outside of his homeland for the first time in his career traveled to Mexico and faced fellow unbeaten fighter Julian Yedras (now 21-1, 13). Although the conditions were new the style wasn't as the talented Buitrago showed off his skills from early in the bout as he started to put rounds in the bag with his superior skills.
Whilst Yedras was unable to really cope with the extra gears Buitrago seemed to have he showed his courage and refused to be stopped as he made a number of rounds close. It was these close rounds that allowed Yedras to have any success on the scorecards though they were too limited to help him, even at home.
When the cards came back reading 118-110, 118-111 and 116-113 there was no doubt who the winner was (the only doubt seemed to be how one judge had it close).
Unfortunately for Buitrago (who clearly won here) he showed off some of his flaws, notably the way he rushes his attacks at times and despite his experience he still needs more time to mature before being put into a major fight.
With Filipino Merlito Sabillo holding the "full" version of the WBO world title a bout between Sabillo and Buitrago makes sense though unfortunately for the Nicaraguan I think it'd be a year or two too soon for him. Instead Buitrago needs fights to help him develop and get ready for Sabillo, a bout with someone like Pedro Guevara or Mario Rodriguez would test his mettle and help him "get ready" for Sabillo.
Buitrago, fighting outside of his homeland for the first time in his career traveled to Mexico and faced fellow unbeaten fighter Julian Yedras (now 21-1, 13). Although the conditions were new the style wasn't as the talented Buitrago showed off his skills from early in the bout as he started to put rounds in the bag with his superior skills.
Whilst Yedras was unable to really cope with the extra gears Buitrago seemed to have he showed his courage and refused to be stopped as he made a number of rounds close. It was these close rounds that allowed Yedras to have any success on the scorecards though they were too limited to help him, even at home.
When the cards came back reading 118-110, 118-111 and 116-113 there was no doubt who the winner was (the only doubt seemed to be how one judge had it close).
Unfortunately for Buitrago (who clearly won here) he showed off some of his flaws, notably the way he rushes his attacks at times and despite his experience he still needs more time to mature before being put into a major fight.
With Filipino Merlito Sabillo holding the "full" version of the WBO world title a bout between Sabillo and Buitrago makes sense though unfortunately for the Nicaraguan I think it'd be a year or two too soon for him. Instead Buitrago needs fights to help him develop and get ready for Sabillo, a bout with someone like Pedro Guevara or Mario Rodriguez would test his mettle and help him "get ready" for Sabillo.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Merlito Sabillo v Jorle Estrada
Filipino Merlito Sabillo (23-0, 12) successfully defended his WBO Minimumweight title for the first time as stopped Colombian challenger Jorle Estrada (17-7, 6).
The bout started well for Sabillo who applied intelligent pressure whilst landing shots with both hands. Unfortunately it was obvious from the opening round that Estrada hadn't really come to fight but instead was there to make life difficult for Sabillo.
In the second round Sabillo began to target the body, an idea that seemed to be about slowing down the tricky Estrada. It was the body attack that appeared to hurt Estrada in round 3 as Sabillo continued to bag rounds with little real challenge. Unfortunately for Sabillo however Estrada showed his toughness and managed to ride out the storm in rounds 3 and 4.
Having realised that Estrada was there to survive more than win Sabillo started to try and box off the back foot, luring Estrada in. This tactic had mixed success with Estrada becoming wise and not really falling for it as much as Sabillo would have liked, though it did give Sabillo one or two chances to land something hard up top.
Although Estrada had promised a knockout in round 7 he did little to force it and whilst he did open up a bit more the pace of the bout seemed to completely dissipate in easily the least memorable round of the fight.
Thankfully Sabillo remembered where he was in round 8 and went back after the out matched challenger who was hurt late in the round but managed to see out the bell. The following round however Sabillo wouldn't be so kind to Estrada and this time he made his body shot really count sending Estrada down for the count on a shot that quite possibly left the Colombian with a broken rib or two.
Following the bout Sabillo was questioned about who he was wanting to make his second defense again though seemed to suggest that it was up to his promoters ALA as opposed to himself, hopefully it'll be a bigger test than Estrada who was poor from start to end.
The bout started well for Sabillo who applied intelligent pressure whilst landing shots with both hands. Unfortunately it was obvious from the opening round that Estrada hadn't really come to fight but instead was there to make life difficult for Sabillo.
In the second round Sabillo began to target the body, an idea that seemed to be about slowing down the tricky Estrada. It was the body attack that appeared to hurt Estrada in round 3 as Sabillo continued to bag rounds with little real challenge. Unfortunately for Sabillo however Estrada showed his toughness and managed to ride out the storm in rounds 3 and 4.
Having realised that Estrada was there to survive more than win Sabillo started to try and box off the back foot, luring Estrada in. This tactic had mixed success with Estrada becoming wise and not really falling for it as much as Sabillo would have liked, though it did give Sabillo one or two chances to land something hard up top.
Although Estrada had promised a knockout in round 7 he did little to force it and whilst he did open up a bit more the pace of the bout seemed to completely dissipate in easily the least memorable round of the fight.
Thankfully Sabillo remembered where he was in round 8 and went back after the out matched challenger who was hurt late in the round but managed to see out the bell. The following round however Sabillo wouldn't be so kind to Estrada and this time he made his body shot really count sending Estrada down for the count on a shot that quite possibly left the Colombian with a broken rib or two.
Following the bout Sabillo was questioned about who he was wanting to make his second defense again though seemed to suggest that it was up to his promoters ALA as opposed to himself, hopefully it'll be a bigger test than Estrada who was poor from start to end.
Friday, 28 June 2013
Xiong Zhao Zhong v Denver Cuello
Those who follow the little guys in this sport will know that Filipino Denver Cuello (33-5-6, 21) has had his career plagued by misfortune, it appeared that misfortune struck again in the biggest fight of his caree. After waiting several years for his first world title fight Cuello took on China's Xiong Zhao Zhong (21-4-1, 11) and appeared to suffer an injury early in the bout.
The bout started perfectly for Cuello who dropped Zhong in the opening round and seemed to to be on his way to an early victory. The following round saw Cuello possibly opening up a 3 point lead on the card but from then on Zhong took over coming forward relentlessly and landing shots with both hands.
Zhong's onslaught was helped in two ways. Firstly Cuello seemed to suffer an injury very early in the bout to his right hand, or arm, effectively rendering him a 1-armed fight. Without a right arm Cuello was limited to just throwing left hooks and uppercuts which were becoming very easy for Zhong to predict and avoid between his own attacks. Secondly Cuello was feeling annoyed by the tactics of the Chinese fighter who was using head and elbows.
Cuello managed to get a break of sorts in round 9 when Zhong was deducted a point for an accidental head clash (following the rules of the WBC) though Cuello himself was left bloodied by it and it seemed likely that the bout was going to be taken to the scorecards early.
After the Dr twice looked at the cut (and had also looked at the shoulder of Cuello) the bout was allowed to continue and suddenly Cuello seemed to refocus and box well, despite being one handed arguably claiming the final 2 rounds.
Despite what looked to have been a pretty easy so score bout the judges all had close cards (113-113, 115-112, 113-110) as Zhong managed to do, just enough their cards, to retain his title by majority decision, despite the announcer calling it a split.
I hope Cuello a quick recovery from his injuries. Unfortunately however it could be a case of several injuries. He certainly had a damaged shoulder late in the bout, possibly a occurrence of one suffered last year against Ivan Meneses, but I think there was also a hand injury as well. For Zhong, his physical strength could help him retain his title if matched well, in all honesty however I can't help but think he got lucky with the injury to Cuello, despite the scorecards not being as reflective of the result as they should have been.
The bout started perfectly for Cuello who dropped Zhong in the opening round and seemed to to be on his way to an early victory. The following round saw Cuello possibly opening up a 3 point lead on the card but from then on Zhong took over coming forward relentlessly and landing shots with both hands.
Zhong's onslaught was helped in two ways. Firstly Cuello seemed to suffer an injury very early in the bout to his right hand, or arm, effectively rendering him a 1-armed fight. Without a right arm Cuello was limited to just throwing left hooks and uppercuts which were becoming very easy for Zhong to predict and avoid between his own attacks. Secondly Cuello was feeling annoyed by the tactics of the Chinese fighter who was using head and elbows.
Cuello managed to get a break of sorts in round 9 when Zhong was deducted a point for an accidental head clash (following the rules of the WBC) though Cuello himself was left bloodied by it and it seemed likely that the bout was going to be taken to the scorecards early.
After the Dr twice looked at the cut (and had also looked at the shoulder of Cuello) the bout was allowed to continue and suddenly Cuello seemed to refocus and box well, despite being one handed arguably claiming the final 2 rounds.
Despite what looked to have been a pretty easy so score bout the judges all had close cards (113-113, 115-112, 113-110) as Zhong managed to do, just enough their cards, to retain his title by majority decision, despite the announcer calling it a split.
I hope Cuello a quick recovery from his injuries. Unfortunately however it could be a case of several injuries. He certainly had a damaged shoulder late in the bout, possibly a occurrence of one suffered last year against Ivan Meneses, but I think there was also a hand injury as well. For Zhong, his physical strength could help him retain his title if matched well, in all honesty however I can't help but think he got lucky with the injury to Cuello, despite the scorecards not being as reflective of the result as they should have been.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Ryo Miyazaki v Carlos Velarde
Japanese youngster Ryo Miyazaki (19-0-3, 11) made the first successful defense of his WBA Minimumweight title in explosive fashion as he stopped Mexican challenger Carlos Velarde (23-3-1, 13) in the 5th round with an eye catching combination.
The fight started in excellent fashion and the opening round was thoroughly enjoyable as neither man felt the need to feel out the other. This really did warm the fight up in wonderful style with neither man feeling the need to try and figure the other out and the action merely got better as both men ramped up the action in rounds 2 and 3 as it appeared we were on the verge of a real war. In fact round 3 was a genuine contender for round of the year as both men stood toe to toe and dug shots to the head and body.
In round 4 the bout started to change slightly with Miyazaki beginning to use his superior boxing skills to avoid the war and catch the challenger with counters. It appeared as if Miyazaki, who rocked at the end of round 3, had decided that a war wasn't in his best interest and that he had the ability to jab and move to take the round. Whilst Velarde's constant pressure was making the fight the Mexican simply wasn't able to cut the ring off enough to really force Miyazaki's hand.
Miyazaki continued to box rather than brawl in round 5 though landed several eye catching shots through Velarde appeared to take them very well until out of nowhere the champion landed a straight right and a crisp left hook that sent Velarde to the canvas out cold for the count in a KO of the year contender.
Thankfully Velarde appeared to be fine by the time that Miyazaki had been interviewed and although Miyazaki himself had a small cut over his left eye we'd not expect him to be out for long.
The fight started in excellent fashion and the opening round was thoroughly enjoyable as neither man felt the need to feel out the other. This really did warm the fight up in wonderful style with neither man feeling the need to try and figure the other out and the action merely got better as both men ramped up the action in rounds 2 and 3 as it appeared we were on the verge of a real war. In fact round 3 was a genuine contender for round of the year as both men stood toe to toe and dug shots to the head and body.
In round 4 the bout started to change slightly with Miyazaki beginning to use his superior boxing skills to avoid the war and catch the challenger with counters. It appeared as if Miyazaki, who rocked at the end of round 3, had decided that a war wasn't in his best interest and that he had the ability to jab and move to take the round. Whilst Velarde's constant pressure was making the fight the Mexican simply wasn't able to cut the ring off enough to really force Miyazaki's hand.
Miyazaki continued to box rather than brawl in round 5 though landed several eye catching shots through Velarde appeared to take them very well until out of nowhere the champion landed a straight right and a crisp left hook that sent Velarde to the canvas out cold for the count in a KO of the year contender.
Thankfully Velarde appeared to be fine by the time that Miyazaki had been interviewed and although Miyazaki himself had a small cut over his left eye we'd not expect him to be out for long.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Mario Rodriguez v Katsunari Takayama
Wow, that's all I can say. Not only did we have the bout between Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios on Saturday but we also had the hidden classic of Mario Rodriguez v Katsunari Takayama for the IBF Minimumweight title the same night. Although I may be in the minority saying this the Rodriguez v Takayama fight was arguable better than Rios v Alvarado II.
Japanese challenger Takayama (25-6-0-1, 10) fighting his fifth successive bout outside of his native Japan traveled to Rodriguez's (15-7-4, 11) homeland of Mexican and despite being the notable betting under-dog put on a performance for the ages as he annexed the world title to become a 2-time world champion.
The bout started fast as Takayama set an incredible pace with none stop work and movement. He wasn't just throwing relentlessly but he was bouncing about using his legs and feet just as much as his arms and hands as he got in, unloaded with fast shots and got out. It was an incredible start by the challenger who was impressive from the off.
Rodriguez wasn't to be totally over-whelmed however and managed to score a knockdown in round 3 in what was certainly his stand out moment of success as Takayama's confidence really grew and grew. The challenger's speed and combinations were amazing to see as he really just worked over the champion to head and body with wonderful eye catching flurries that bagged him round after round.
After having an almost unassailable lead Takayama went from a fighter dominating a world champion to a fighter making a point as he started to show boat in front Rodriguez's home fans, a move that must have infuriated an outclassed champion who's reign came to an end in just his first defense.
As the new champion Takayama is in a very select group of Japanese fighters to have claimed an IBF belt interestingly on his third attempt (after having a No Contest and a loss to South African Nkosinathi Joyi). It'll be interesting to see if the JCB allows him to defend his title at home or forces him to continue his road journey.
For Rodriguez this was a pretty humbling loss after scoring a huge upset victory over Joyi last year. A rematch between the two would not go amiss however I would imagine Takayama may himself want Joyi for a 3rd bout.
Japanese challenger Takayama (25-6-0-1, 10) fighting his fifth successive bout outside of his native Japan traveled to Rodriguez's (15-7-4, 11) homeland of Mexican and despite being the notable betting under-dog put on a performance for the ages as he annexed the world title to become a 2-time world champion.
The bout started fast as Takayama set an incredible pace with none stop work and movement. He wasn't just throwing relentlessly but he was bouncing about using his legs and feet just as much as his arms and hands as he got in, unloaded with fast shots and got out. It was an incredible start by the challenger who was impressive from the off.
Rodriguez wasn't to be totally over-whelmed however and managed to score a knockdown in round 3 in what was certainly his stand out moment of success as Takayama's confidence really grew and grew. The challenger's speed and combinations were amazing to see as he really just worked over the champion to head and body with wonderful eye catching flurries that bagged him round after round.
After having an almost unassailable lead Takayama went from a fighter dominating a world champion to a fighter making a point as he started to show boat in front Rodriguez's home fans, a move that must have infuriated an outclassed champion who's reign came to an end in just his first defense.
As the new champion Takayama is in a very select group of Japanese fighters to have claimed an IBF belt interestingly on his third attempt (after having a No Contest and a loss to South African Nkosinathi Joyi). It'll be interesting to see if the JCB allows him to defend his title at home or forces him to continue his road journey.
For Rodriguez this was a pretty humbling loss after scoring a huge upset victory over Joyi last year. A rematch between the two would not go amiss however I would imagine Takayama may himself want Joyi for a 3rd bout.
Monday, 11 March 2013
Merlito Sabillo v Luis De La Rosa
Unheralded Filipino Merlito Sabillo (21-0, 10) made a statement this past weekend to the Minimumweight division as he traveled to Colombia and defeated Colombian Luis De La Rosa (21-2-1, 12) in eye catching fashion to claim the WBO interim Minimumweight title.
The fight started fast as both men came out with bad intentions and it was Sabillo who got an early upper hand inflicting a cut on to De La Rosa in the opening round. Although many fighters go in to their shell when cut it seemed to merely spur on De La Rosa who fought like a wounded animal intent on taking out his attacker.
With De La Rosa cut and Sabillo going toe-to-toe with his opponent the fight quickly erupted in to a war as both men took turns in firing bombs at the other. Neither man willing to back down though neither man quite able to get an upper hand against an opponent who was wanting to claim a portion of the world title. The action was relentless as both men tried their hardest to rock the other and take them out of their game plan though neither man could manage it in the opening half of the bout.
After the back and forth action of the first 7 rounds Sabillo finally got a clear upper hand as he felled De La Rosa in round 8. Although De La Rosa rose to his feet he was back down soon afterwards as Sabillo took advantage of his woozy opponent and forced the stoppage just seconds later.
Although the Colombian fighter had lost the crowd gave both men a show of hands as the local mayor also welcomed Sabillo to return to the area to fight another Colombian fighter later this year. Looking at this it would appear that Sabillo has made a new set of fans as boxing for once treat the away fighter with the dignity and respect they deserved.
Although the full version of the WBO Minimumweight title is held by Mexican Moises Fuentes, rumours are rife that Sabillo will be upgraded to the full champion in the coming months as Fuentes, who was a huge guy at Minimumweight, simply cannot make the 105lb limit. Fuentes, who drew recently with Donnie Nietes (who like Sabillo is a Filipino fighter and part of the ALA Gym) is expected to chase a rematch with Nietes if he can even manage to make 108lbs again, if not he could well move to 112lbs later this year.
The fight started fast as both men came out with bad intentions and it was Sabillo who got an early upper hand inflicting a cut on to De La Rosa in the opening round. Although many fighters go in to their shell when cut it seemed to merely spur on De La Rosa who fought like a wounded animal intent on taking out his attacker.
With De La Rosa cut and Sabillo going toe-to-toe with his opponent the fight quickly erupted in to a war as both men took turns in firing bombs at the other. Neither man willing to back down though neither man quite able to get an upper hand against an opponent who was wanting to claim a portion of the world title. The action was relentless as both men tried their hardest to rock the other and take them out of their game plan though neither man could manage it in the opening half of the bout.
After the back and forth action of the first 7 rounds Sabillo finally got a clear upper hand as he felled De La Rosa in round 8. Although De La Rosa rose to his feet he was back down soon afterwards as Sabillo took advantage of his woozy opponent and forced the stoppage just seconds later.
Although the Colombian fighter had lost the crowd gave both men a show of hands as the local mayor also welcomed Sabillo to return to the area to fight another Colombian fighter later this year. Looking at this it would appear that Sabillo has made a new set of fans as boxing for once treat the away fighter with the dignity and respect they deserved.
Although the full version of the WBO Minimumweight title is held by Mexican Moises Fuentes, rumours are rife that Sabillo will be upgraded to the full champion in the coming months as Fuentes, who was a huge guy at Minimumweight, simply cannot make the 105lb limit. Fuentes, who drew recently with Donnie Nietes (who like Sabillo is a Filipino fighter and part of the ALA Gym) is expected to chase a rematch with Nietes if he can even manage to make 108lbs again, if not he could well move to 112lbs later this year.
Monday, 31 December 2012
Ryo Miyazaki v Pornsawan Porpramook
In arguably the fight of the day Ryo Miyazaki (18-0-3, 10) claimed the WBA Minimumweight ttile by split decision over former champion Pornsawan Porpramook (27-5-1, 17) in an incredible war that just kept getting better and better. In fact it's fair to say that this was a true send off to a fantastic year of boxing!
The bout started quickly with both men trading from the opening round and some how neither let off the pace as the fight got faster, more action packed and more exciting for each of the 12 rounds. It was relentless by both men with Porpramook forcing the pace and action by being in Miyazaki's face round after round. With Porpramook bringing the pressure it forced Miyazaki to match him and go toe-to-toe, this allowed the audience a chance to see what was almost a repeat of Porpramook v Yaegashi (one of the best fights of 2011).
Sadly for Porpramook his high work rate gave a number of chances for Miyazaki to land flash, accurate counters and catch the eye of the judges who may have been swayed somewhat to the pro-Miyazaki crowd. Despite the loss the Thai really gave it his all and proved, once again, that he is one of the most fun to watch fighters on the planet, even if only a handful of fans in the west have had the pleasure to see him.
Sadly at 34 years old this is likely Porpramook's last title fight however he really did all he could to defeat the much younger Japanese fighter who looks like he could well be the next in a long, long line of excellent Japanese Minimumweights.
For every fight fan out there, I need to advise you to hunt this fight down, this was special.
The bout started quickly with both men trading from the opening round and some how neither let off the pace as the fight got faster, more action packed and more exciting for each of the 12 rounds. It was relentless by both men with Porpramook forcing the pace and action by being in Miyazaki's face round after round. With Porpramook bringing the pressure it forced Miyazaki to match him and go toe-to-toe, this allowed the audience a chance to see what was almost a repeat of Porpramook v Yaegashi (one of the best fights of 2011).
Sadly for Porpramook his high work rate gave a number of chances for Miyazaki to land flash, accurate counters and catch the eye of the judges who may have been swayed somewhat to the pro-Miyazaki crowd. Despite the loss the Thai really gave it his all and proved, once again, that he is one of the most fun to watch fighters on the planet, even if only a handful of fans in the west have had the pleasure to see him.
Sadly at 34 years old this is likely Porpramook's last title fight however he really did all he could to defeat the much younger Japanese fighter who looks like he could well be the next in a long, long line of excellent Japanese Minimumweights.
For every fight fan out there, I need to advise you to hunt this fight down, this was special.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Xiong Zhao Zhong v Javier Martinez Resendiz
Today saw a new age in professional boxing as Chinese fighter Xiong Zhao Zhong (20-4-1, 11) became the first Chinese man, in the history of the sport to become a world champion as he out pointed game Mexican Javier Martinez Resendiz (13-4-2, 6) in a bout for the WBC Minimumweight title.
The early stages were give and take as Martinez brought the pressure looking to land hurtful hooks against Zhong who was boxing well and using range and his straighter shots. Although Martinez was the man making the fight, it was Zhong who was looking like the classier fighter.
Zhong's clean work started to pay off in second half of the fight as he marked up and seemed to stun Resendiz in round 8 before taking control of the bout in the later rounds as the Mexican started to look progressively tired. The Mexican, who had looked powerful, if wild early on, was starting to show little more than arm punches in the later rounds as Zhong's right hand bounced off his head and it showed as Zhong really ran away with the last few rounds.
Although Zhong looked impressive in taking a clear decision here, it's fair to admit that this was a set up of sorts as the WBC look to attack the untapped Chinese market. If Zhong can't be "protected" I can't see his reign lasting long. Interesting Denver Cuello is a name thrown around as Zhong's likely next opponent and that will likely see Zhong getting beaten in a painful way.
The early stages were give and take as Martinez brought the pressure looking to land hurtful hooks against Zhong who was boxing well and using range and his straighter shots. Although Martinez was the man making the fight, it was Zhong who was looking like the classier fighter.
Zhong's clean work started to pay off in second half of the fight as he marked up and seemed to stun Resendiz in round 8 before taking control of the bout in the later rounds as the Mexican started to look progressively tired. The Mexican, who had looked powerful, if wild early on, was starting to show little more than arm punches in the later rounds as Zhong's right hand bounced off his head and it showed as Zhong really ran away with the last few rounds.
Although Zhong looked impressive in taking a clear decision here, it's fair to admit that this was a set up of sorts as the WBC look to attack the untapped Chinese market. If Zhong can't be "protected" I can't see his reign lasting long. Interesting Denver Cuello is a name thrown around as Zhong's likely next opponent and that will likely see Zhong getting beaten in a painful way.
Monday, 8 October 2012
Jesus Silvestre v Takuya Mitamura
Mexican Jesus Silvestre (26-3, 19) successfully defended his WBA "interim" Minimumweight title for the first time as he stopped previously unbeaten Japanese challenger Takuya Mitamura (12-1, 2) in just 4 rounds.
Silvestre started the fight well and used both accurate hurtful counters as well as some thudding combinations in the early rounds to hurt Mitamura who, despite landing his own shots did little to really stop Silvestre from doing as he wished.
By the end of the third round it appeared that Silvestre's hurtful body punches were taking their toll out of Mitamura and early in the fourth round the Japanese fighter was stopped effectively a broken man.
Despite the victory being a decent one for Silvestre, I do have to wonder how he would fair with the top guys at 105lbs. Countrymen Mario Rodriguez (IBF) and Moises Fuentes (WBO) would both be great unification bouts with a lot of action and excitement, however Silvestre would likely lose to any of the top Japanese fighters (Kazuto Ioka, Akira Yaegashi or Katsunari Takayama).
For Mitamura the logical next fight is a bout with rising young star Ryuji Hara (13-0, 10) who won Mitamura's old Japanese Minimumweight title in midweek.
Silvestre started the fight well and used both accurate hurtful counters as well as some thudding combinations in the early rounds to hurt Mitamura who, despite landing his own shots did little to really stop Silvestre from doing as he wished.
By the end of the third round it appeared that Silvestre's hurtful body punches were taking their toll out of Mitamura and early in the fourth round the Japanese fighter was stopped effectively a broken man.
Despite the victory being a decent one for Silvestre, I do have to wonder how he would fair with the top guys at 105lbs. Countrymen Mario Rodriguez (IBF) and Moises Fuentes (WBO) would both be great unification bouts with a lot of action and excitement, however Silvestre would likely lose to any of the top Japanese fighters (Kazuto Ioka, Akira Yaegashi or Katsunari Takayama).
For Mitamura the logical next fight is a bout with rising young star Ryuji Hara (13-0, 10) who won Mitamura's old Japanese Minimumweight title in midweek.
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Moises Fuentes v Ivan Calderon
Puerto Rican Ivan Calderon (35-3-1, 6) was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain the WBO Minimumweight title as he was stopped in the fifth round against Mexican Moises Fuentes (16-1, 8).
The bout started amazingly well for Calderon who dominated the opening round with his speed, movement and unbelievable slipperiness as he landed shots at will whilst avoiding pretty much everything thrown his way.
If the opening round was impressive by the challenger then the second round was even more amazing as Calderon put on a boxing clinic and appeared to have rolled back the clock as he landed time and time again on Fuentes. Calderon was in and out in a flash and tied up Fuentes when ever the two fighters were close. This was looking like vintage Calderon and it was hard to believe that the challenger was 37!
Calderon continued to embarrass Fuentes in the third round again using his much superior skills and movement to completely neutralise the champion who was mostly looking clueless. In the third however Fuentes managed his first notable success as he let his hands go in the centre of the ring and managed to connect with one or two shots. Up to this point he had struggled to land anything at all.
Over the first 3 rounds it had all been Calderon, however the bout took a massive change at the end of the fourth round as Calderon was caught in the corner and Fuentes took full advantages letting his hands go none stop for around 20 seconds. Although Calderon avoided taking many shots clean he did take several hard, punishing blows that seemed to turn the fight in the way of the champion who came out for the fifth round with the same intention he had finished the fourth.
Building on his momentum from round 4, Fuentes set off at a hectic pace in the fifth round and swiftly had Calderon back in corner before unleashing another series of hurtful blows dropping Calderon for an 8 count. Although Calderon recovered to his feet, the fight had been beaten out of him, and he'd be own for a second time soon afterwards before retiring himself in the middle of the round by taking a knee with what looked to be a badly damaged right arm.
Despite looking sensational for 3 rounds Caleron really is a fighter showing his age, and probably does need to hand them up before he takes permanent damage. He still has more skills than most fighters out there, sadly however the combination of age, injuries and tough bouts has caught up with him. Hopefully he hangs them up now, before he ends up really badly beaten.
Fuentes may have scored the win but I can't help but think a prime Calderon would seriously have embarrassed him for all 12 rounds. He got through this more the basis of his youth and energy rather than his skills, and this could be a problem against a number of the other top guys at 105lbs. Saying that however, Fuentes does hit hard, he is aggressive, he's tough and he's detimed all great ingredients for any top fighter.
The bout started amazingly well for Calderon who dominated the opening round with his speed, movement and unbelievable slipperiness as he landed shots at will whilst avoiding pretty much everything thrown his way.
If the opening round was impressive by the challenger then the second round was even more amazing as Calderon put on a boxing clinic and appeared to have rolled back the clock as he landed time and time again on Fuentes. Calderon was in and out in a flash and tied up Fuentes when ever the two fighters were close. This was looking like vintage Calderon and it was hard to believe that the challenger was 37!
Calderon continued to embarrass Fuentes in the third round again using his much superior skills and movement to completely neutralise the champion who was mostly looking clueless. In the third however Fuentes managed his first notable success as he let his hands go in the centre of the ring and managed to connect with one or two shots. Up to this point he had struggled to land anything at all.
Over the first 3 rounds it had all been Calderon, however the bout took a massive change at the end of the fourth round as Calderon was caught in the corner and Fuentes took full advantages letting his hands go none stop for around 20 seconds. Although Calderon avoided taking many shots clean he did take several hard, punishing blows that seemed to turn the fight in the way of the champion who came out for the fifth round with the same intention he had finished the fourth.
Building on his momentum from round 4, Fuentes set off at a hectic pace in the fifth round and swiftly had Calderon back in corner before unleashing another series of hurtful blows dropping Calderon for an 8 count. Although Calderon recovered to his feet, the fight had been beaten out of him, and he'd be own for a second time soon afterwards before retiring himself in the middle of the round by taking a knee with what looked to be a badly damaged right arm.
Despite looking sensational for 3 rounds Caleron really is a fighter showing his age, and probably does need to hand them up before he takes permanent damage. He still has more skills than most fighters out there, sadly however the combination of age, injuries and tough bouts has caught up with him. Hopefully he hangs them up now, before he ends up really badly beaten.
Fuentes may have scored the win but I can't help but think a prime Calderon would seriously have embarrassed him for all 12 rounds. He got through this more the basis of his youth and energy rather than his skills, and this could be a problem against a number of the other top guys at 105lbs. Saying that however, Fuentes does hit hard, he is aggressive, he's tough and he's detimed all great ingredients for any top fighter.
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Mario Rodriguez v Nkosinathi Joyi
Have we just had the upset of the year by Super Mario?
Unheralded Mexican tough man Mario Rodriguez (15-6-4, 11) may not have the best of records on paper but he has arguably just scored the upset of the year as he became the first man to stop the very talented Nkosinathi Joyi (22-1-0-1, 15) and claimed the IBF Minimumweight title.
Whilst only the hardcore boxing fans had heard of Nkosinathi Joyi they respected the South African. Not only was he unbeaten but he appeared to have it all, he was a great puncher, very fluid, great movement, technically sound and with superb stamina. He had beaten a relative who's who in his previous 23 bouts including the likes of Katsunari Takayama, Raul Garcia, Sammy Gutierrez and Florante Condes. His travels to Mexico to face Rodriguez wasn't meant to see usurped, it was instead supposed to be a chance to show case his skills outside of his homeland.
In the early rounds things went well for Joyi who was using his boxing ability to keep the tough Rodriguez at range. Whilst Rodriguez was pressuring and landing punches himself it was clear that Joyi was winning the rounds with his better movement, better shots and superior power. As the rounds went on however Rodriguez was gradually getting closer, cutting the distance and having more success. Every round it seemed that Rodriguez was doing better whilst Joyi was starting to wilt.
Things started to swing Rodriguez's way in round 5 as he started to connect with more success. Joyi wasn't being particularly bothered by any single shot, and was still possibly doing enough to claim the round but it was much closer than the previous ones. Round 6 continued the swing with Rodriguez now starting to grind down the champion. Whilst Joyi was still landing the better shots he was starting to get hit more himself by a challenger who refused to be swayed from his game plan.
At the start of the 7th round Joyi's shorts had really lost their sharp, crisp snap and he was starting to look tired. The pressure from Rodriguez was starting to pay off. Then, almost out of nowhere, Rodriguez seemed to wobble Joyi, the challenger went in for the kill and Joyi dropped to his knees where he remained until the referee was done with his count.
As the new IBF champion Rodriguez has a number of options. He could offer a rematch to Joyi, he could attempt to lure the winner of the upcoming WBO title bout between Ivan Calderon and Moises Fuentes into a unification or he could look to moving up.
For Joyi however the future is perhaps more limited. He has suffered long bouts of inactivity, his first trip abroad has been unsuccessful and he currently has little to no bargaining power so he will almost certainly need to travel for a fight of note (unless he wishes to face fellow South African Hekkie Budler for the IBO title). I'd expect however that Joyi, at 5'6" will have been struggling with to make the 105lb weight limit so perhaps the most likely outcome is that Joyi moves to either Light Flyweight or even Flyweight to allow his body the freedom to grow.
Whilst most boxing fans will not be aware of just how big of an upset this, it's genuinely huge and on par (at worst) with Sonny Boy Jaro's victory over Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Unheralded Mexican tough man Mario Rodriguez (15-6-4, 11) may not have the best of records on paper but he has arguably just scored the upset of the year as he became the first man to stop the very talented Nkosinathi Joyi (22-1-0-1, 15) and claimed the IBF Minimumweight title.
Whilst only the hardcore boxing fans had heard of Nkosinathi Joyi they respected the South African. Not only was he unbeaten but he appeared to have it all, he was a great puncher, very fluid, great movement, technically sound and with superb stamina. He had beaten a relative who's who in his previous 23 bouts including the likes of Katsunari Takayama, Raul Garcia, Sammy Gutierrez and Florante Condes. His travels to Mexico to face Rodriguez wasn't meant to see usurped, it was instead supposed to be a chance to show case his skills outside of his homeland.
In the early rounds things went well for Joyi who was using his boxing ability to keep the tough Rodriguez at range. Whilst Rodriguez was pressuring and landing punches himself it was clear that Joyi was winning the rounds with his better movement, better shots and superior power. As the rounds went on however Rodriguez was gradually getting closer, cutting the distance and having more success. Every round it seemed that Rodriguez was doing better whilst Joyi was starting to wilt.
Things started to swing Rodriguez's way in round 5 as he started to connect with more success. Joyi wasn't being particularly bothered by any single shot, and was still possibly doing enough to claim the round but it was much closer than the previous ones. Round 6 continued the swing with Rodriguez now starting to grind down the champion. Whilst Joyi was still landing the better shots he was starting to get hit more himself by a challenger who refused to be swayed from his game plan.
At the start of the 7th round Joyi's shorts had really lost their sharp, crisp snap and he was starting to look tired. The pressure from Rodriguez was starting to pay off. Then, almost out of nowhere, Rodriguez seemed to wobble Joyi, the challenger went in for the kill and Joyi dropped to his knees where he remained until the referee was done with his count.
As the new IBF champion Rodriguez has a number of options. He could offer a rematch to Joyi, he could attempt to lure the winner of the upcoming WBO title bout between Ivan Calderon and Moises Fuentes into a unification or he could look to moving up.
For Joyi however the future is perhaps more limited. He has suffered long bouts of inactivity, his first trip abroad has been unsuccessful and he currently has little to no bargaining power so he will almost certainly need to travel for a fight of note (unless he wishes to face fellow South African Hekkie Budler for the IBO title). I'd expect however that Joyi, at 5'6" will have been struggling with to make the 105lb weight limit so perhaps the most likely outcome is that Joyi moves to either Light Flyweight or even Flyweight to allow his body the freedom to grow.
Whilst most boxing fans will not be aware of just how big of an upset this, it's genuinely huge and on par (at worst) with Sonny Boy Jaro's victory over Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Jesus Silvestre v Edwin Diaz
In a bout that we simply can't get our head around Jesus Silvestre
(25-3, 18) claimed the interim WBA World Minimumweight title by out
pointing journeyman Edwin Diaz (15-18, 5). Whilst we have to say well
done to Silvestre we really need to ask what the WBA were doing.
Firstly, the full WBA Minimumweight title was recently won by Kazuto Ioka (10-0, 6) who unified the title with the WBC Minimumweight title by out pointing Akira Yeagashi on June 20th. Just 4 and a half weeks after Ioka claims the full version of the title the WBA manage to sanction an interim title fight, quite why they bothered I have no idea. Whilst it's pretty common knowledge that Ioka is looking to move to Light Flyweight it would have made more sense to wait until Ioka has made his decision before "whoring" out an interim title.
Secondly the WBA had Silvestre fighting for an interim Minimumweight title in November 2011, in that bout Silvestre lost a decision for the title to Paipharob Kokietgym. Whilst we are aware that Paipharob hasn't fought since then that shouldn't have meant his "interim" title should have been stripped from him, especially not if the guy he beats is then going to get a chance to win the same title. Interestingly in between the Paipharob and this fight Silvestre fought just once, beating Marvin Diaz who was 1-1-1 going into facing Silvestre.
Thirdly and finally Edwin Diaz was 15-17 (5) going into this bout! Amazingly he had only won one bona fide Minimumweight bout in his career, defeating Carlos Velarde (UD8) in a bout for the WBA Fedecaribe Minimumweight title.
Whilst I've yet to see the actual bout it's self I can't say it's something I'm that interested in seeing. Lets just hope that the WBA stop having bouts like this which do more damage than good for the sport.
Firstly, the full WBA Minimumweight title was recently won by Kazuto Ioka (10-0, 6) who unified the title with the WBC Minimumweight title by out pointing Akira Yeagashi on June 20th. Just 4 and a half weeks after Ioka claims the full version of the title the WBA manage to sanction an interim title fight, quite why they bothered I have no idea. Whilst it's pretty common knowledge that Ioka is looking to move to Light Flyweight it would have made more sense to wait until Ioka has made his decision before "whoring" out an interim title.
Secondly the WBA had Silvestre fighting for an interim Minimumweight title in November 2011, in that bout Silvestre lost a decision for the title to Paipharob Kokietgym. Whilst we are aware that Paipharob hasn't fought since then that shouldn't have meant his "interim" title should have been stripped from him, especially not if the guy he beats is then going to get a chance to win the same title. Interestingly in between the Paipharob and this fight Silvestre fought just once, beating Marvin Diaz who was 1-1-1 going into facing Silvestre.
Thirdly and finally Edwin Diaz was 15-17 (5) going into this bout! Amazingly he had only won one bona fide Minimumweight bout in his career, defeating Carlos Velarde (UD8) in a bout for the WBA Fedecaribe Minimumweight title.
Whilst I've yet to see the actual bout it's self I can't say it's something I'm that interested in seeing. Lets just hope that the WBA stop having bouts like this which do more damage than good for the sport.
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