## WBA 112LB CHAMP IOKA STOPS REVECO IN GRUDGE FIGHT

December 31, 2015

OSAKA, JAPAN

The fistic history between Japan and Argentina is so long and eventful since Pascual Perez dethroned Yoshio Shirai by a unanimous decision (146-139, 143-139, 146-143) before some 20,000 spectators at the Korakuen Baseball Stadium on November 26, 1954. Each Shirai and Perez was the first world titlist ever produced in each country. Now we saw another confrontation of outstanding contestants that represented their countries, which was a grudge fight that the ex-champ attempted to regain his belt from the current titleholder.

WBA flyweight ruler Kazuto Ioka (19-1, 11 KOs), 112, impressively retained his belt as he finally sank former champ Juan Carlos Reveco (36-3, 19 KOs), 112, with vicious body shots at 1:57 of the eleventh round in Osaka, Japan, on New Year Eve. Ioka had wrested the throne from Reveco on a close majority verdict (116-113, 115-113, 114-114) here last April, and the WBA, upon Revecofs protest, recommended their rematch, which took place at the same venue.

A day before the rematch, there happened a bitter dispute only on the color of the gloves at the rules meeting. Itfs a recent inclination here in Japan that each counterpart wears gloves in different colors for the sake of good contrast to the eyes of the audience and television watchers. Ioka Promotions prepared the black gloves for Ioka and the blue ones for Reveco, who, however, strongly insisted that he would also like to use the gloves in the same black color. Reveco was eager to use the black gloves that werenft in stock just a day before the event.

The rules meeting was interrupted for no less than forty minutes, as each party exchanged verbal rallies between Osvaldo Rivero (Revecofs promoter) and Kazunori Ioka (Iokafs father/manager/trainer). Finally did Reveco group reluctantly accept using the black gloves, but this dispute indicated that it would become a literally grudge fight.

From the opening session Ioka, the defending titlist, made good use of jabs and kept his distance well against the shorter ex-champ by three inches. Reveco, in round two, quickly turned loose with busier combinations to stalk the elusive Japanese champ.

It was Ioka that threw furious combinations to Reveco with his back to the ropes in the fourth as if it was a final session in a four-round game. Iokafs body shots occasionally caught Reveco and looked so effective that the Argentine veteran winced in pain.

In the fifth through seventh sessions Reveco, who had defended his WBA flyweight belt on eight occasions prior to his forfeiture to Ioka, turned very aggressive in stalking the champ who averted most of his attack with his mobility and blocking as well. Almost all the judges tallied these three rounds to the busy-punching Argentine.

Ioka, in round eight, connected with a well-timed right to the onrushing ex-champ to shake him up effectively. The tide eventually turned in his favor, while Reveco showed a sign of fading and fatigue due to his too high pace in earlier rounds.

The ninth witnessed Ioka furiously swarm over his rival, pinning him to the ropes with a fusillade of punches upstairs and downstairs. Ioka later reviewed the ninth, gI kept hitting Reveco with all my energy and, in my mind, asked the referee to stop it here and now.h It was such a condensed round as could be scored 10-8.5 though such a decimal point wasnft permitted herein.

After Ioka dominated the tenth, his father Kazunori and his uncle and former two-class world champ Hiroki in the corner advised him not to go so recklessly since they believed he was comfortably leading on points (which turned out wrong after the fight as it had been tallied close then and there). Kazuto, however, was very eager to finish the grudge rival.

In the fatal eleventh, Ioka kept circling smoothly to have Reveco miss the moving target. When they mixed it up, Ioka connected with a double left hook to the side of the belly and a right uppercut to the stomach, which eventually became a haymaker. The game Argentine went down on all fours, barely stood up but couldnft resume fighting on to be halted by the referee Mark Nelson. He could count him out but realized that Reveco wasnft ready to go on, so he logically called a halt. It was announced as a TKO, not a knockout, because he didnft toll up to ten.

This reporter once heard therefs a gnocaut efectivo (effective knockout)h in Latin America that is applied in a case that a loser obviously cannot beat the count and the referee terminates counting, but it is registered as a Knockout, not a TKO. But Iokafs victory in this bout was recorded as TKO, as announced by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC).

Before a trick happened, the scores had been inconsistent and split: Stanley Christodoulou (South Africa) 96-94, Stefano Carozza (Italy) 97-93, both for Ioka, and John Potraj (US) 96-94 for Reveco. It might show Reveco wasnft simply losing in the process despite his defeat within a distance.

Reveco who suffered a defeat by a stoppage for the first time said, gIfve no excuse as I was knocked out. I took a good shot at the solar plexus in an early round, and couldnft recover from the punishment. Ioka improved a lot and became stronger than in our first encounter. He changed his style into more aggressiveness.h

The victor Ioka said, gI strongly wanted to win by a knockout this time. Yesterday there was a long dispute on the gloves to be used, and then I was determined to defeat him decisively. If possible, I wish to unify the flyweight belts by facing another champion. I believe I will be stronger from now.h

His uncle Hiroki Ioka became world champ twice in the 105-pound and 108-pound categories, but failed to defend the belts in the first defenses. Now his nephew Kazuto wiped his familyfs jinx and extended his record of defenses in his third division (Ioka has won the world belts in the 105, 108 and 112-pound categories).

His 2016 target might be WBA super champion Juan Estrada or IBF titlist Amnat Ruenroeng to whom Ioka tasted his only a setback. We admit that Ioka, through a couple of tough battles with Reveco, turned stronger and more powerful. Diga gracias a Reveco (say thank you to Reveco).

Promoter: Ioka Promotions.

WBA supervisor: Renzo Bagnariol (Nicaragua).

Attendance: 9,500 (as announced).

(12-31-2015)

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