September 27, 2015
OSAKA, JAPAN
Prospects in the Osaka district appeared on the undercard of the world title twinbill featuring the title defenses of Kazuto Ioka and Katsunari Takayama on Sunday in Osaka, Japan.
Unbeaten elongated prospect, world-rated Japanese super-flyweight champ Sho Ishida (20-0, 10 KOs), 115, a stablemate of the main eventer Kazuto Ioka, kept his national belt by earning a unanimous verdict (97-93, 98-93, 99-91) over formerly WBO interim Asia Pacific 115-pound titlist Hayato Kimura (23-9, 15 KOs), 115, over ten frames. But it wasn’t so easy a defense as the official tallies indicated, as Ishida was often forced to retreat with Kimura’s desperate attacks. Ishida’s retaliation, however, was a little more accurate against the onrushing challenger. Kimura’s right optic was badly puffed and swollen with Ishida’s counters, but the challenger from Tokyo kept going forward and stalking the champ, who didn’t look an easy victor. Ishida recently had a tough time coping with an aggressive puncher Taiki Eto, eking out a split duke to retain his national belt this April. Again did Ishida experience a tough battle with the desperate challenger, though outmaneuvering him with sharper cunteres.
OPBF female light-fly titleholder, unbeaten tall southpaw Kei Takenaka (10-0, 3 KOs), 108, kept her regional belt by winning a shutout decision (all 80-72) over Thailand’s Krikanok Islandmuaythai (12-6-2, 4 KOs), 106.5, over ten lopsided rounds. Takenaka utilized her height and southpaw stance, and whipped the game Thai girl with long southpaw lefts to the face. Krikanok’s eyes were swollen, but she showed a good retaliation despite her absorption of punishment. The unbeaten 108-pounder Takenaka, 29, will be a good prospect and look forward to a world title crack.
Formerly world challenger, light-fly Atsushi Kakutani (17-4-1, 10 KOs), 111.5, dropped Thailand’s Thoedkiad Singhamanasak (13-8-2, 3 KOs), 114.75, time and again, and finally scored a KO victory at 1:42 of the second session in a scheduled eight. Kakutani once had an ambitious crack at the WBC 108-pound belt against Adrian Hernandez only to lose via TKO in the fourth session despite dropping El Confesor in the opening session, stunning the crowd in Mexico city in August 2013.
WBA Asia minimum champ, 17-year-old Riku Kano (7-1-1, 4 KOs), 108, scored a unanimous nod (59-55, 59-56, 60-56) over Kenta Matsui (6-5, 1KO), 107.25, over six. Kano, a boyish-looking southpaw, is reportedly scheduled to face a world contender this coming December.
It was a long show starting at 3:45 PM and ending at 9:15 PM, and we could witness good and steady progresses of local prospects who appeared on the undercard.
(9-28-2015)