May 18, 2011
TOKYO, JAPAN
Unbeaten Japanese banger Ryo Akaho (16-0-2, 10 KOs), 115, impressively acquired the vacant OPBF super-flyweight belt as he floored previously unbeaten Australian champ Fred Mandraby (12-1-1, 6 KOs), 112.5, four times before his corner didn’t allow him to go on after the fifth round on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to the stoppage Akaho was widely leading on points: scoring referee Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) and judge Frank Hadley (Australia) both 50-41, and judge Yuji Fukuchi (Japan) 49-42, all in the aggressive Akaho’s favor.
The 24-year-old Japanese connected with a well-timed left hook and gave him a flash knockdown in the opening session. The second saw each score with leading lefts and Akaho landing some solid left hooks to the side of the belly. Akaho, in round three, displayed a beautiful combination?a left uppercut to the belly and a right hook to the face?dropping him for a second time in the closing seconds of the session. Mandraby, 23, gamely attempted to fight back with light but sharp jabs in the fourth, but Akaho was still an aggressor who often connected with big rights to the face, winning another points. Akaho, a talented hard-puncher, turned loose in the fifth, and decked the Australian aborigine with a triple right cross to have him kneel down for his third visit to the canvas. Though standing up quickly, Mandraby took a knee again when he absorbed another overhand right to the chin. The Aussie wished to go on, but his manager Steve Deller wisely forced his boy to stay on the stool without going on.
Mandraby said, “This wasn’t my night. Akaho was a hard-hitter, and he hurt me with his solid rights.” It turned out that his jaw was broken at a couple of spots on the lower jaw at the medical examination at the Jikei University Hospital. We hope his speedy recovery and comeback soon. It’s a good fight of the unbeaten young prospects.
(5-18-11)