November 6, 2011
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC super-feather champ Takahiro Aoh (22-2-1, 10 KOs), a Japanese southpaw, barely kept his belt as he eked out a split decision over previously unbeaten Italian Devis Boschiero (29-1-1, 14 KOs), 129.5, over twelve heats on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan.
Duane Ford (US) and Anek Hongtongkam (Thailand) both saw the close affair 115-113 for the defending titlist Aoh, while Ian John Lewis (UK) saw it 116-113 for Boschiero. The referee was Laurence Cole (US).
It was far from Aoh’s best performance, as he looked slower and more sluggish than usual?probably because of his overwork or improper conditioning. But Aoh, 27 and three years his junior, was more aggressive throughout the contest than the Italian, who didn’t attack the champ enough to seize the championship. We saw Aoh the victor on points even by a slight margin.
Aoh, who dethroned Vitali Tajbelt last November, worked the body from the outset, while Boschiero defended himself with the tight guard. The shorter but more muscular Italian was in command in round four, when he scored with solid left hooks to the crouching champ.
After the fourth, the WBC open scoring system indicated split interim tallies?39-37 for Aoh, 39-38 for Boschiero and 38-38.
In the next four sessions from the fifth, Aoh, making his second defense, became more aggressive to land solid southpaw right hooks to the side of the belly and occasionally turned more aggressive. Boschiero’s left eye became puffed as he absorbed Aoh’s southpaw lefts to the face.
After the eighth, the judges tallied as follows: 77-76, 77-75 and 79-73, all for the champ by evaluating his aggressiveness.
Boschiero showed his pride and determination in the last four rounds, when he almost dominated them with his busier action. Aoh tried to fight back, but looked so sluggish that he couldn’t cope with the last surge of the Italian. Boschiero was in command in the last two sessions to overcome some of his early deficits on points in earlier rounds, but couldn’t completely turn the tables.
The fight itself wasn’t good, as they repeated clinching and holding rather than mixing up in the close quarter. But both Aoh and Boschiero showed their heart until the end.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Mauricio Sulaiman (Mexico).
(11-6-2011)