GARZA SCORES HAIRBREATH 12TH ROUND TKO TO BARELY RETAIN WBA SUPER-BANTAM TITLE BOUT

November 21, 1999
NAGOYA, JAPAN-It must be Japan's "Fight of the Year" without doubt. Pugnacious Mexican NESTOR GARZA, 122, barely kept his WBA super-bantamweight throne, as he put on a give-and-take brawl with hard-punching Japanese KOZO ISHII(right photo), 121 1/2, withstood a 7th round crisis and scored a TKO victory at 2:30 of the 12th and final session.

Scored after the 11th: Silvestre Abainza (Philippines) 107-102 for Ishii, Erkki Meronen (Finland) 107-103 for Garza, and Manuel Rodriguez (Colombia) 105-105.

It became a one-round fight in the final canto. The game Japanese went forward to win a point, but the more experienced Mexican landed a countering left hook to floor him on the deck. Ishii raised himself to resume fighting, but looked so obviously hurt and exhausted that Venezuelan referee Enzo Montero finally declared a halt to the very competitive slugfest.

It's a surprise that Ishii, ex-OPBF titlist, recklessly mixed up with the Mexican champ known for his hard-punching ability from the start and occasionally overpowered him with stronger punches in the first half. Ishii, a KO artist in Nagoya, started fireworks and exchanged hot rallies toe-to-toe with the willing mixer Garza, 22, from the opening round. The Japanese, also 22, had the champ bewildered with his furious opening attack.

Garza came back to win the second canto with more accurate punches in swapping punches with the game Japanese. The third was dominated by Ishii who landed a very solid right that bounced his face off. The tide busily turned with each taking every other round in the first half, though Ishii looked more aggressive and a bit more effective in their persistent mix-ups.

Prior to the 7th session Ishii waived his hand to the crowd-a la Muhammad Ali-to predict that he would finish the champ that round. Almost so did he. Ishii had him reeling to the ropes with a flurry of punches and Garza barely weathered a storm.

Ishii aggressively pressed the action in the 8th until the closing seconds, but Garza landed a vicious left hook that almost toppled him with Ishii saved by the bell.

Though Ishii went forward to be an aggressor in the 9th and 10th, Garza was more effective in penetrating his guard with inside blows to the face and midsection.

Surprisingly enough, Ishii clearly dominated the 11th as he landed good and strong jabs to bounce off his face, and outpunched him with still solid punches.

The game and gutsy Ishii, in the 12th, might have spent his energy with his high pace in earlier rounds, and he looked visibly tired. But he kept going forward and was caught by Garza's well-timed left hook. The Mexican, nicknamed "Tigre (tiger)," was about to display his last surge to finish the affair and bring back home the bacon. The ref intervened with only 30 seconds remaining to stun the partisan fans.

Garza jubilantly said, "I didn't expect Ishii to be so strong and courageous. He could punch very hard, and was one of my strongest opponents I have faced. Happy to retain my title."

The crestfallen Ishii said, "I wanted to win this fight, and thought I could win-in the middle of this bout. I repent of having received a good punch in the final round. I want a rematch with Garza."

Garza, 37-1, 29 KOs, registered his second defense since he captured the WBA 122-pound crown by beating lefty compatriot Enrique Sanchez in December of the previous year. He scored his first defense on a come-from-behind stoppage of Venezuelan Carlos Barreto in the 8th in Las Vegas last May.

Ishii, who had scored 11 KO wins in his last 14 victories in a row, dropped to 21-2, 14 KOs.

UNDERCARDS:

Sergio Aguila, 123, Mexico, overwhelmed Japanese veteran Tomoaki Iwasa, 122 3/4, to win a unanimous decision over 8. Yosuke Kobayashi, 114 1/4, finished Filipino Al Tarazona, 112 3/4, at 2:03 of the second round. Isamu Sakashita, 126, was a KO victor over Tony Bernales, 124, at 2:06 of the third session. These three bouts were scheduled for 8 rounds.

Promoter: Tenyu Maruki Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The promoter and manager of Ishii is Takao Maruki who had an unsuccessful crack at the WBA junior lightweight title against Samuel Serrano, Puerto Rico, on points in the first world title bout with a native boxer in Nagoya involved-in Nagoya-some 21 years ago.

WBA supervisor: Bolivar Icaza (Panama).
(11-21-99)

SCORESHEETS

REFEREE: REFEREE: ENZO MONTERO (VENEZUELA)

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