August 6, 2005
TOKYO, JAPAN-Japan-based Thailander, ex-champ Eagle Kyowa (14-1, 5 KOs), 104.75, regained the WBC 105-pound belt as he pounded out a unanimous decision over defending champ Katsunari Takayama (15-2, 7 KOs), 105, over twelve heats on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The official tallies were as follows: Takeaki Kanaya (Japan) 116-112, Franz Marti (Thailand) 117-113, and Brian McMahon (Australia) 119-111, all for the muscular ex-titlist. The referee was Yuji Fukuchi (Japan).
Eagle, 26, surprisingly forfeited his belt to Issac Bustos, the top ranked contender from Mexico, via fourth round TKO because of a fractured right shoulder despite having lopsidedly dominated the first three rounds here last December. Takayama, 22, impressively captured it by a unanimous nod over Bustos in Osaka this April.
Eagle made a good start by overpowering and outspeeding the newly crowned speedster Takayama to win the first two rounds with ease. The young champ displayed his trademark hit-and-run tactics to be in command in the third. Eagle, however, showed the difference of physical power in overwhelming the busy-moving but less powerful Takayama, as the contest progressed. Takayama threw many, if neither accurate nor effective, light combinations, while Eagle caught the Japanese champ with a fewer but more effective shots to the face and midsection. The ex-champ cleverly shifted his target to Takayama’s belly midway in the contest, which paid off well as the champ visibly slowed down and became still busy but much less powerful.
Takayama sustained a slight gash in the eleventh, but showed his last surge in hotly exchanging incessant combinations with Eagle toe-to-toe in the center of the ring in the last round. Two judges gave the twelfth session to Takayama, while another official tallied 10-10. Press people as well as ringsiders called the final session a good candidate for “Round of the Year.” It was a very good and hot competition despite such a unanimous score as tallied 119-111 by a judge, as Takayama gamely responded to Eagle’s solid shots and showed his retaliation in every round. It really entertained the packed-house crowd at the Hall.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions in association with Kadoebi Jewel Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Major Lee Wonbok (Korea).
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(8-6-05)