By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

By Fightnews.com

Unbeaten Japanese Daigo Higa (13-0, 13 KOs), 112, captured the WBC flyweight belt when he scored a very fine TKO victory over overweight ex-champ Juan Hernandez (36-4, 26 KOs), 112.5, at 2:58 of the sixth round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Higa, handled by former WBA 108-pound titleholder Yoko Gushiken, had the Mexican on the deck each once in the second and fifth rounds and four more times in the fatal sixth session—six times in total.

Hernandez lost his belt on the scale, having weighed in only half a pound over the 112-pound flyweight limit. The former champ shamefully gave up his effort in just forty minutes though given two hours to reduce more, and abruptly drank Coke to stun people around him.

In Japan, being overweight is a very shameful crime as professional boxer since making weight is the very fundamental and essential condition to fight in the boxing game. Probably Hernandez conserved energy to fight on the next day rather than consume his energy to reduce weight. Such an act is the awful challenge to the weight category system.

The Mexican switch-hitter fought very well from the outset, busily switching from orthodox to southpaw and back to orthodox. Hernandez’s sickle-like long uppercut was often effective to the monotonously onrushing Japanese.

The second witnessed Higa floor Hernandez with a light but accurate left hook midway in round two. But the ex-champ seemingly dominated the other three sessions with his speed and skills. The official tallies as announced were: 38-37 twice for Hernandez and 38-38.

Higa, a game warrior, dropped Hernandez again with a vicious left hook midway in round five in the fifth.

The sixth saw Hernandez hit the deck four more times—(1) by a right uppercut, (2) by a right uppercut following a combination, (3) by body punches to the side of the belly and right uppercut, and (4) by the same.

The referee Vic Drakulich finally declared a halt to the fragile ex-champ and raised the hand of Higa, who is handled by ex-WBA 108-pound champ Yoko Gushiken.

Hernandez had been favored to win over the less experienced hard-punching youngster before the fight. But he miserably sank six times to have Shiro Ken newly crowned. It is very shameful that the champion Hernandez, though given two stipulated hours, gave up reducing his overweight in only forty minutes probably to conserve his energy to fight on the next day.

Lately WBO bantamweight champ Marlon Tapales did the same, and paid no effort to reduce his overweight. Every time Tapales scaled in, his weight shamefully increased, which showed that he made no efforts to reduce even an ounce more.

Higa became the first Japanese boxer that seized a world crown with his unblemished record of 13-0, 13 KOs. Though technically less skillful, he has tremendous heart and power despite his small physique.

Juan Hernandez should be banned by the JBC (Japan Boxing Commission) at least for a year to fight in Japan again. He truly tarnished the joy of Higa and his mentor Gushiken because of his unfaithful deed at the weigh-in. If overweight, he should not be allowed to abandon his further effort to reduce his weight within two hours, as stipulated.

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