February 7, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
Former WBC champ and ex-Olympian, currently WBC#7/WBA#6 super-fly Toshiyuki Igarashi (20-2-1, 11 KOs), 116, was awarded a unanimous technical decision (96-95, 98-94 twice) over Mexican national titlist Efrain Perez (17-6, 12 KOs), 115.5, because of Igarashi’s bad bleeding at 0:20 into the tenth and final session on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Igarashi, a fleet-footed southpaw nicknamed “Supersonic” due to his excellent speed on hand and foot, had a tough time coping with the game and gallant Mexican who kept tearing into the footworker with persistent body bombardments. Igarashi responded to his attack by effectively bouncing a southpaw left off his opponent’s head though punching at a time while moving around. The 31-year-old ex-champ sustained a gash over the right eyebrow midway in round six and it became worsened with a head collision in the ninth with the referee Someya declaring a halt to take a technical decision in the final stanza?scoring and including the incomplete tenth. Torres, 25, fought well and showed his heart though he was apparently a slow starter.
Igarashi, a fast southpaw, wrested the WBC flyweight belt by dethroning Filipino wild swinger Sonny Boy Jaro thanks to his superior speed here in 2012 but forfeited it to smaller but tremendously courageous ex-champ Akira Yaegashi by an upset verdict in 2013. Igarashi then failed to outspeed and outbox the shorter man only to recklessly mix it up, being outpunched in the close quarter. He looked like a too excitable boxer who forgot how to outbox and utilize his vaunted footwork because he seemed too overconfident in attempting to overpower the much shorter Yaegashi. The crestfallen Igarashi, however, decked a comeback go by finishing a Mexican Omar Soto in nine rounds in September that year, but had to undergo surgery on the shoulder to have a hiatus for a year. His return to the squared circle resulted in a technical decision win over Filipino Renren Tesorio in nine rounds last September. Igarashi, who was again victorious by a technical verdict this night, said, “I wish to win a world belt again in the second category by staying busy.” In the super-fly division we, in Japan, have a couple of world champs?WBA ruler Kohei Kono and WBO titleholder Naoya Inoue. Igarashi may be given a shot at either of the two shouldn’t the champ’s party regard Igarashi as a threat.
Up-and-coming hard-punching prospect, JBC#10 super-feather Kenichi Ogawa (14-1, 12 KOs), 130, displayed a one-punch stoppage of also hard-hitting Kazuya Nakano (8-4, 7 KOs), 129.5, with a smashing right at 0:51 of the third session in a scheduled eight. Ogawa, muscular and strong, may be worth watching from now on.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
(2-7-2015)