Mar. 28, 1999
MIYAZAKI, JAPAN-Venezuelan JESUS "KIKI" ROJAS, 115, barely kept his
title, as he was held to a technical draw with Japan's HIDEKI TODAKA(right photo),
115, due to the champ's cut on the left eyebrow at 2:18 of the 4th round
in a scheduled 12.
Some 2,800 partisan fans at Miyazaki Prefectural Gymnasium got stunned by an abrupt halt by Panamanian referee Julio Cesar Alvarado. It was truly a problematic stoppage, because the ref stopped the affair without Rojas's apparent bleeding though the JBC physician saw that the champ could go on.
It's true that the third man had the authority to decide whether to go on or not at his discretion. But it was the very first time in the history of the Japanese boxing that the referee ignored the doctor's opinion and neglected the recommendation of the JBC executive secretary Shigeru Kojima for the fight to continue.
Problem was that Kiki Rojas wasn't actually bleeding at the point of stoppage, as his cutman Manny Siaca beautifully stopped the bleeding of the laceration on the left eyebrow that opened in the very end of the 3rd round. The cut itself was rather big and deep. But the crowd became furious at the halt in the 4th simply because Rojas wasn't bleeding.
Alvarado, in the beginning of the 4th, had the cut examined by the doctor who said that Rojas could go on. After they fought on, the referee abruptly declared a halt without consulting the doctor. Had he made the doctor examine the cut once more and then stopped the proceedings, the crowd would have understood the ref's decision.
Rojas's cornermen cut the tapes of the gloves before the official verdict was announced. Toshiro Matsuo, local promoter and manager of Todaka, cried, "Rojas gave up fighting!"
The crowd was obviously disappointed with some crying, "Return the money!" Others threw papers and shoes into the ring in protest against the halt. Finally the WBA supervisor Aurelio Fiengo, Panama, had to climb up to the ring to explain the stoppage with the JBC executive secretary Shigeru Kojima's translation.
The fight itself was short and hard. In the first round Todaka, ex-national mini-fly champ who outgrew the class, began to move and punch vigorously, and scored a good right to the cautious champ. It looked Todaka's round.
The second saw Rojas utilize his left hand in exchanging jabs with the onrushing Todaka. The 35-year-old Venezuelan scored light but fast right uppercuts and straight rights followed by left hooks. Rojas was in command.
Todaka, in the third, kept boring in with his head low, which eventually caused a headbutt. Rojas cleverly countered him with right uppercuts and inside punches against the aggressive crouching stylist. Just before the end of the third, a collision of heads occurred with Rojas starting to bleed. Alvarado promptly penalized a point from Todaka due to a headbutt.
A rematch will be desirable to cease the controversy of this fiasco.
Scored:
Judge: Gullermo Perez Pineda (Panama) 30-27 for Rojas
Guy Jutras (Canada) 29-27 for Rojas
Silvestre Abainza (Philippines) 29-27 for Todaka
Rojas, who dethroned Japan's Satoshi Iida (Todaka's stablemate) last Dec., is 32-7-2-1 NC (No Contest). Todaka, 9 years his junior at 26, is 14-2-1, 7 KOs.
GUY JUTRAS (CANADA)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | TOTAL |
| ROJAS | 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 |
| TODAKA | 10 | 9 | 9(-1) | 27 |
GUILLERMO PERES PINEDA (PANAMA)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | TOTAL |
| ROJAS | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
| TODAKA | 10 | 9 | 9(-1) | 27 |
SILVESTRE ABAINZA (PHILIPPINES)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | TOTAL |
| ROJAS | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 |
| TODAKA | 10 | 10 | 10(-1) | 29 |
Unbeaten Korean YONGSUK CHOI(right photo), 177, the OPBF super-middle champ ranked #11 by the WBC, engaged in a non-title bout, and was awarded a technical decision over New Zealand's Sam Leuii, 175 3/4, midway in the 6th session. The elongated 6'4" Choi, now 7-0, 4 KOs, controlled the bout with his superior speed until the end of the 5th. Choi, however , hit the deck with a looping left hook of Leuii in the 6th, and then the referee had the swollen optic of Choi examined by the doctor. It was caused by an accidental butt in the second, and Choi's optic was swollen badly and finally closed. So, the doctor advised the fight to be stopped, and the ref took a technical decision, as follows: all 49-47, all for Choi. Leuii fell to 5-3-1, 4 KOs.
Promoter: Midori Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
(3-28-99)