September 22, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
Unbeaten WBC bantamweight titlist Shinsuke Yamanaka (24-0-2, 17 KOs), 118, barely retained his belt as he was awarded a split decision over formerly WBA super champ Anselmo Moreno (35-4-1, 12 KOs), 117, from Panama, over twelve close rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The official tallies read: David Sutherland, Mauro Di Fiore both 115-113 for Yamanaka, and Oren Shellenberger 115-113 for Moreno. All the judges came from the US. The referee was Mike Griffin (Canada).
It was a very close affair of the southpaws as Yamanaka, making his ninth defense, had difficulty catching the elusive Panamanian with his touted “God’s Left.” But the Japanese champ kept his cool and attempted to outjab the flexible challenger and continuously throw long right-left combinations. After the eighth, the open scoring system indicated: 76-76 twice and 77-75 for Moreno.
Moreno, a really puzzling southpaw, showed his best in the ninth by connecting with a vicious countering right hook that had the champ reeling to the ropes. Yamanaka, however, displayed a vry furious retaliation in the tenth, stalking the bewildered Moreno from pillar to post. The last two sessions were very close, but Yamanaka looked to take the initiative to earn a hairline but valuable victory.
Japanese hard-punching prospect Kenichi Ogawa (16-1, 14 KOs), 130.75, finally halted WBC#12 unbeaten Colombian Deivis Julio Bassa (17-1, 10 KOs), 130.75, at 2:32 of the tenth and final session. It's an important triumph for Ogawa, a stabalemate of the WBC 130-pound champ Takashi Miura.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Frank Quill (Australia).
(9-22-2015)