November 6, 2006
November 6, 2006
OSAKA, JAPAN
Fast-moving and busy-punching Japanese Katsunari Takayama (18-2, 7 KOs)(right photo), 105, acquired the WBA interim minimumweight belt as he kept throwing punches upstairs and downstairs to sweep all rounds before he sustained such a nasty cut by an accidental headbutt that a technical decision over Panamanian Carlos Melo (16-5, 2 KOs), 105, was duly taken in favor of Takayama at 1:30 of the ninth round on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan. The official tallies were as follows: Levi Martinez (US) and Cesar Ramos (Puerto Rico) both 90-81 and Chalerm Prayadsab (Thailand) 90-82, all in favor of the Takayama, who became the seventh current world champ out of Japan. The referee was Silvestre Abainza (Philippines) who did a good job.
Takayama, 23-year-old ex-WBC titlist, made a positive start as he tossed fast jabs and quick combinations to the still nervous Panamanian, 24, who harshly responded to his opening attack with solid body punches. The Japanese, however, was in command in the first round. Moving to and fro, Takayama displayed his high work-rate in outlegging and outspeeding Melo in the second and third.
Since Takayama was much faster than expected, Melo attempted to hit the breadbasket to stop his busy mobility. But the Japanese baby face showed his good defense in averting his shots and threw back more accurate combos to the face and the side of the belly. Takayama’s body shots looked effective enough to slow down the Panamanian speedster, who tried to catch the Fancy Dan but often missed the elusive target. The fourth was also Takayama.
Melo showed his best in the fifth, when he turned loose and aggressive and almost took a point, but Takayama revealed furious rallies, pinning Melo to the ropes in the last thirty seconds. He was in command again in the fifth session.
It was the short Japanese that incessantly released quick jabs and sharp combinations to hurt Melo in the sixth and seventh. Takayama sometimes pinned him to the ropes and battered the game Panamanian with a fusillade of punches. The eighth saw Takayama keep moving his head to avert Melo’s solid shots and landed light but busy combinations to the face and midsection.
Midway in the ninth a collision of heads occurred with Takayama badly streaming blood from a gash under the left eyebrow. The ringside physician saw Takayama unfit to go on as he was profusely bleeding from a wide laceration. When the game was halted by the third man, it was clear that Takayama was a victor on points. He dominated almost all rounds on the scorecards.
The new interim champ Takayama said, “I was very much frustrated by the cancellation of my crack at the WBA throne against full champ Yutaka Niida on September 2, but I exploded all my frustration against Melo in this fight. I am very much willing to face Niida in the WBA unification bout.”
It seems strange that we have three world champs including the WBC ruler Eagle Kyowa in the 105-pound division in Japan. Kazunori Miyakawa, Niida’s promoter in attendance, said, “I hope to materialize their encounter of Niida and Takayama for the WBA unified belt next March.” Niida, a hard-puncher but sometimes lazy in throwing punches, may have a tough time coping with the non-stop fighting machine. All the officials praised Takayama’s abundant stamina as well as his tremendously busy hands.
WBA supervisor: Yangsup Shim (Korea).
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-7-06)