HATAKEYAMA DROPS SERRANO 5 TIMES AND WRESTS WBA LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE BY 8TH ROUND KO

TOKYO, JAPAN
TAKANORI HATAKEYAMA, 135, wrested the WBA lightweight title, as he dropped Venezuelan GILBERTO SERRANO, 135, five times and finally finished him at 2:30 of the 8th round before some 10,000 spectators at Ariake Coliseum. It’s a give-and-take thriller.

Hatakeyama, a 24-year-old ex-WBA super-feather champ, sent the champ to the deck each once in the 5th and 7th, and thrice more in the fatal 8th. The Venezuelan revealed his vulnerability and succumbed under the Japanese boy’s fusillade of punches.

Serrano, 30, commenced the fight well with a fine display of his sharp left hand, but Hatakeyama landed a solid overhand right twice and effectively shook him up late in the opening session. (Two judges had the first for Serrano, while another for Hatakeyama.)

The Venezuelan, however, completely dominated the second through 4th rounds, as he kept jabbing and countering the onrushing opponent. Serrano accurately and repeatedly caught the target with stinging lefts, left uppercuts and leading rights nearly at will, and had the left optic of the willing mixer apparently swollen.

The tide drastically turned early in the 5th, when Hatakeyama exploded a wicked right uppercut to sink the champ on the deck for a compulsory 8 count. The rubbery-legged Serrano barely lasted the round by desperately retaliating and holding the aggressor.

The 6th saw Serrano still shaky but gradually regain his rhythm and retaliate with accurate jabs and left hooks, though Hatakeyama kept boring in with less effective combos.

The 7th looked all Serrano until Hatakeyama landed a vicious right cross to floor him near the ropes. The Japanese went all out for a kill, but the Venezuelan cleverly grabbed him to keep him from throwing solid shots.

The trick finally happened in the 8th. Hatakeyama went out with all he had, pinned the champ to the ropes and sank him with a barrage of punches. Serrano stood up and resumed fighting, but fell again with his left hook while they were swapping hot rallies. Serrano showed his heart to pull himself up to continue fighting, but was knocked down?for the third time in the same round?with his furious combinations followed by a left hook.

Referee Armando Garcia declared the fight was over due to the three knockdown rule, and awarded the stunning victory to Hatakeyama, 23-1-2, 17 KOs. Serrano, making his second defense, fell to 20-5-1, 17 KOs. (This result was registered as a knockout, not a TKO, based on the WBA rule.)

Scored after the 7th: Lou Tabat (US) and Guillermo Perez (Panama) both 66-65 for Hatakeyama, and Errki Meronen (Finland) 66-66. The scoresheets may indicate that it was a close affair despite the champ repeatedly suffering visits to the canvas.

The newly crowned champ Hatakeyama, a game boxer-puncher, is supposed to make his first defense against hard-punching compatriot Hiroyuki Sakamoto here this coming October. It must be a very sensational match-up that will draw a huge crowd.

Undercards:

WBA #8 ranked super-fly AKAIHIKO NAGO, 117, failed to display an expected demolition, but pounded out a nearly shutout decision over Thailand’s #5 super-fly CHATCHAI NAKORNTHON-PARKVIEW, 116 1/2, over 10.

Handled by ex-WBA 108-pound champ Yoko Gushiken, the hard-hitting lefty Nago, who couldn’t capture the WBA 115-pound throne from compatriot Hideki Todaka on a unanimous nod last November, raised his mark to 17-1, 11 KOs. But his performance was just a disappointment against a mediocre Thailander, who dipped to 11-5, 6 KOs.

WBA #12 ranked super-bantam OSAMU SATO, 122, unanimously outscored Filipino JUN MAGSIPOC, 120 1/4, over 8. Sato, who couldn’t show his usual zip, bettered his ledger to 21-1-1, 11 KOs.

Californian ex-amateur boy JOSE ARMANDO SANTA CRUZ, 130, made his successful pro debut on an impressive disposal of Thailand’s PENPAK CHOKCHAI, 130, at 3:10 of the first round in a scheduled 6.

Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
WBA supervisor: Bolivar Icaza (Panama).

SCORESHEETS

(6-11-00)

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