August 7, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
Formerly world-rated speedster Yasutaka Ishimoto (26-8, 7 KOs), 122, showed superior speed and skills in outscoring Japan’s super-bantam top contender Gakuya Furuhashi (17-6-1, 7 KOs), 122, by a close but unanimous decision (76-75, 77-76, 77-75) over eight hard-fought rounds on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Given greater power, Furuhashi failed to the moving target with precision, while Ishimoto often caught him with faster jabs and quick combinations. Ishimoto once decked an upset triumph over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. on points in Macao in April 2013, but lost to Chris Avalos via eighth round stoppage in an IBF 122-pound eliminator to decide the mandatory challenger also in Macao in May 2014. Ishimoto cleverly utilized his hit-and-grab tactics against the less experienced opponent, but the referee Nakamura finally penalized a point for holding too often midway in round seven.
In the semi-windup, formerly a victim of Gennady Golovkin with the WBA belt at stake in Ukraine, ex-OPBF and national middleweight champ Makoto Fuchigami (21-11, 12 KOs), 158.75, was halted by slow starter Hikaru Nishida (13-7-1, 5 KOs), 160, upon his furious retaliation at 2:36 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight. The taller southpaw Fuchigami, five years his senior at 32, took the initiative and swept the first three rounds with his trademark octopus style by freely swinging with his hands down and flexibly averting his foe’s punches with shifty footwork and body movement. But JBC #3 middleweight Nishida, who had previously defeated Fuchigami by a close decision in the previous year, turned loose from the fourth on, kept battering the fading veteran with effective double rights and prompted the third man Fukuchi to wave off the see-saw affair. Fuchigami inexplicably lost his zip and speed abruptly in the fatal session.
Promoter: Kawasaki Nitta Promotions.
(8-7-2015)