By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Fightnews.com

Unbeaten Shiro Ken (10-0, 5 KOs), 107.75, wrested the WBC light-flyweight belt as he defeated defending champ Ganigan Lopez (28-7, 17 KOs), 107.75, Mexico, by a hairline majority decision on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.

Alan Krebs, Mario Di Fiore (both US) both scored 115-113 for the Japanese challenger, and Jack Woodburn (Canada) 114-114. The referee was Len Koivisto (Canada).

Now Japan has swept all the four world belts of major sanctioning bodies in the 108-pound category—along with WBA titlist Ryoichi Taguchi, IBF ruler Akira Yaegashi and WBO titleholder Kosei Tanaka. Shiro is the son of former OPBF light-heavyweight champ in 1990’s, 6’4” Hisashi Teraji (20-1-3, 11 KOs with his sole defeat inflicted by future world middleweight champ Shinji Takehara in 1992). The newly crowned Shiro is just a 5’5” youngster at 25. His real name is Kenshiro Teraji, but his nom-de-guerre is Shiro Ken based on a hero of popular boxing comic strip.

The Mexican southpaw Lopez, 35, who had dethroned Yu Kimura (retired) by an upset decision here last year, showed his opening attack to take a point in the first round. The 25-year-old Ken, however, became aggressive from the second and swept the second through fourth rounds as his body shots looked strong and effective enough to hurt the defending champ.

After the fourth session the tallies were announced due to the WBC open scoring system: 39-38 twice for Shiro, 38-38.

Lopez, in round five and six, maintained the pressure to dominate the rounds by utilizing his southpaw lefts. But Ken was in command in the seventh as he landed a solid right counter and hurt the champ with good body shots.

After the eighth, all the scores were 77-75 for Shiro.

It became a war in the last four sessions. The Japanese challenger made good use of footwork with the champ stalking as he realized he was behind on points. The tenth saw Lopez connect with a good southpaw left to earn a precious point.

It actually became a one-round fight. Ken changed his strategy from outboxing to infighting, recklessly mixed it up toe-to-toe and landed strong body shots to damage the fading champ, which eventually carried him to a close victory.

The new champ’s father Hisashi was presented the prestigious WBC green belt by his good son and had the belt on the waist, but promptly returned it to the proprietor of the championship belt.

The crestfallen ex-champ Lopez said, “It wasn’t my night. I couldn’t take a proper distance to the challenger, which was the reason of my defeat.”

The newly crowned baby face said, “As I thought it was a close fight, I was happy to hear that I was the winner and new champion. I whole-heartedly dedicate this victory to my father.” Good son, well-done.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Kiate Sirigul (Thailand).