August 7, 2011
KARIYA, JAPAN
Busy-punching and lion-hearted Filipino, WBA#12 super-bantam Roli Gasca (17-1, 3 KOs), 122, impressively captured the OPBF 122-pound belt as he displayed an opening attack, maintained it until the end despite the defending champ’s retaliation, and earned a majority but well-received decision (116-112 twice and 115-115) over WBC#13 Hiromasa Ohashi (24-10-3, 15 KOs), 121.5, over twelve furious rounds on Sunday in Kariya, Japan.
Ohashi might have underestimated Gasca’s punching power due to his low knockout ratio, but the Filipino could really punch and hurt the champ with desperate rallies in earlier rounds. The open scoring system indicated Gasca was leading on points after the fourth 39-37 twice and 38-39, and also after the eighth 78-74, 77-75 and 76-77. Ohashi sustained bad lacerations over both optics with his face in crimson, but tried to fight back hard. Gasca, nine years his junior at 22, showed his remarkable last surge and carried himself to a valuable victory. Gasca, whose legs were almost sagging in the fourth and sixth, could withstand Ohashi’s persistent body bombardments, and came back fiercely with his reckless retaliation.
Ex-Filipino national champ Danilo Pena (24-10-2, 9 KOs), 117, was awarded a split but popular decision (76-75, 77-74 and 75-76) over Mobile Martin (AKA Martin Mubiru; 8-2, 5 KOs), a Ugandan import at 117.75, over eight. Martin decked an impressive eighth-round stoppage over Japanese prospect Hayato Kimura last October, but he showed nothing but retreating to avert Pena’s wild and wicked attack from the head. Pena was an obvious winner, even if his strategy was neither clean nor crowd-pleasing.
Promoter: Heiwa Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi (as for the Ohashi-Gasca bout).
(8-7-11)