February 3, 2007
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBA#2/WBC#4 feather Jorge Linares, 127.75, extended his unblemished mark to 23-0, 14 KOs as he overwhelmed Panamanian national champ Ramiro Lara (12-6-2, 7 KOs), 126.25, with his superior speed and power from the outset, battered him from all angles and finally halted him at 1:37 of the third round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
The 21-year-old “El Nino de Oro” (Golden Boy) was simply too strong and fast for the Panamanian who acquired the national belt by a first-round demolition of Jose Miranda in Panama in February of the previous year and kept it once by unanimously defeated Alexander Alonso on points last July. Linares displayed stinging lefts and sharp one-two combinations followed by vicious left uppercuts to the belly to have the crowd sense that it might be over in the first round. Lara barely survived the opening session, but might have realized the Japan-based Venezuelan’s speed, power and skills.
Linares, five years his junior, utilized his accurate jabs and left-right combos to be also in command in round two. Lara occasionally attempted to retaliate with a sporadic attack, which was perfectly averted by Linares using fast footwork.
The third saw Linares turn loose with a well-timed right, which effectively rocked Lara, who would have dropped to the deck without the ropes supporting him. Linares showed furious combinations with precision, while pinning him to the ropes. The referee promptly declared a halt to save the loser from further punishment.
Linares, who turned pro at the age of 17 in Japan after an excellent amateur mark of 145-5 in Venezuela, steadily grew up stronger and stronger so that there are no competitive opponents in Asia but the WBA ruler Chris John of Indonesia, who is said to be reluctant to face Linares unless in a mandatory defense. Jorge’s promoter/manager Akihiko Honda made up his mind to take the Golden Boy to the US to get him more exposure from the next bout on. Linares, who previously showed very good sparring sessions with Manny Pacquiao in Los Angeles, will cause a sensation in the US.
Linares, whose linguistic ability was also improved during his stay here for four years, replied to a post-fight interview in the ring, of course, in fluent Japanese. Linares’ popularity becomes bigger and bigger, so the fight fans here will miss him if he campaigns in the US from now on.
Unbeaten Japanese #8 feather Yoshimitsu Yashiro (16-0-1, 9 KOs), 130, disposed of Tomohito Kimura (8-2-1, 2 KOs), 130, by dropping him twice and accelerating his attack to prompt the referee’s intervention at 2:32 of the second session in a scheduled ten. Yashiro, a lanky lefty, floored him with a vicious left, and downed him again with a southpaw right hook and then swarmed over him with a fusillade of punches.
Unbeaten ex-Olympian in Athens, tall lefty Toshiyuki Igarashi (3-0, 3 KOs), 111.5, landed a wicked right hook to the side of the belly and downed Thailander Manachai Sithsaithong (6-5, 2 KOs) on all fours in agony for the count at 1:29 of the first round in a scheduled eight. Yashiro and Igarashi, both handled by Honda, looked very promising.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Igarashi-Manachai bout).
(2-3-07)