## WELCOME BACK TO JAPAN, HILARIO ZAPATA

February 11, 2015

TOKYO, JAPAN

It was surprising for this reporter to see former three-time world champion Hilario Zapata of Panama here in Japan as the 56-year-old ex-champ served cornerman/trainer of Venezuelans Breilor Teran and Luis Araguayan on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Zapata belonged to the league named gArtful Dodgersh that consisted of Young Griffo, Jack Johnson, Gene Tunney (65-1-1, 48 KOs; we should more evaluate The Fighting Marine), Willie Pep, Miguel Canto, Pernell Whitaker, Floyd Mayweather Jr., etc.

Zapata used to be a household name in the Japanese squared circle, where he was undefeated in five bouts all with the world title at stake. The flexible Panamanian southpaw annexed the WBC 108-pound belt by a close but unanimous decision over defending titlist Shigeo Nakajima in Tokyo, Japan, in 1980. Since then, Japan was a lucrative market for his manager Luis Spada and Zapata. The lanky southpaw, in his third defense, stopped ex-champ Nakajima in eleven rounds of a rematch in Gifu.

Zapata, a very flexible technician with excellent body work, lost his WBC belt to Amado Ursua, who, however, yielded his belt to Japanfs Tadashi Tomori, from whom Zapata regained the same belt via split duke in 1982. The Panamanian southpaw came back to Japan to face ex-champ Tomori, whom he badly halted in eight lopsided rounds in November of the same year.

The Panamanian forfeited his WBC 108-pound belt to gKorean Hawkh Jung-Koo Chang via third-round stoppage in Korean in 1983, when he was close to a limit of going on as a 108-pounder, which seemed a gMission impossibleh for him to stay in the category any longer.

Zapata moved up to the flyweight category, where he became the WBA flyweight champ again by winning a vacant WBA throne on a unanimous decision over Alonzo Gonzalez in 1985. The Panamanian defense master came back to Japan in his second defense and defeated Shuichi Hozumi by a unanimous nod in 1986.

To make a long story short, Zapatafs last fight was against WBC super-fly ruler Sung-Kil Moon, who kept his belt by a quick blitzkrieg in the first round in 1993. Itfs Zapatafs farewell to arms.

This reporter had something to do with Hilario Zapata. I was the trainer of the dethroned champ Nakajima, and was also the matchmaker of his last appearance against Sung-Kil Moon in Korea. When this reporter met Hilario in the dressing room at the Korakuen Hall, he looked much older than he was fighting (though logical). I said, gDonft you remember me, Hilario?h It was natural that the Panamanian ex-champ forgot my face and name, since thatfs a very long time ago?some twenty years ago.

(2-11-2015)

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