DACQUEL RETAINS OPBF TITLE BY UD AGAINST KIMURA IN JAPAN

OPBF super flyweight champion Rene Dacquel (left) with his Japanese manager Ryuta Kato.

FILIPINO champion Rene “Commander” Dacquel retained his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) super flyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Japanese challenger Hayato Kimura on Wednesday night at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The 26-year old Dacquel hit Kimura with his stinging jabs to open a cut on the Japanese’ left eye in the 5th round.

“Pero muntik din akong matumba sa 8th round dahil tinamaan ako ng masakit sa katawan ko. Pero tiniis ko lang at nagpakatatag ako,” said Dacquel in a Facebook message.

Kimura already had a problem with his vision when his left eye had started to close in the last six rounds. Dacquel also used his boxing skills against the speedy Kimura to earn the three judges’ scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.

It was Dacquel’s third successful defense of the crown he won by a technical knockout against Thailand’s Ratthapon Sawangsoda in Bacolod City last April 1, 2016.

Dacquel (20-6-1, 6 KOs) last defended it with only a split decision against another Japanese challenger Shota Kawaguchi last April 2, 2017 at the EDION Arena in Osaka. He first retained it via a UD over Go Onaga last August 21 at the Prefectural Budokan in Naha, Okinawa.

Dacquel had prepared for this fight both at his own Commander Gym in Cainta and at MP Highland Gym in Manila with the help of trainer Joven Jorda and fellow boxer Roilo Golez for the mitts. Dacquel is managed by Japanese businessman-promoter Ryuta Kato of United International Boxing Promotions.

The 12-round championship fight was supervised by OPBF president Juan Ramon Guanzon.