By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Cameroon-born Frenchman Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (36-2, 21 KOs), 159.5, barely acquired the vacant WBA middleweight belt as he was awarded a controversial split decision over previously undefeated 2012 Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata (12-1, 9 KOs), 159.5, over twelve rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The official tallies were as follows: Gustavo Padilla (Panama) 116-111, Hubert Earl (Canada) 115-112, both for N’Dam, and Raul Caiz Sr. (US) 117-110 for Murata. The referee was Luis Pabon (Puerto Rico).

Murata connected with a beautiful right counter, dropping N’Dam to the deck in the closing seconds of the fourth round. N’Dam kept moving to-and-fro to avert Murata’s stronger punches, though occasionally losing his equilibrium.

After the completion of the contest, all the audience, as well as nationwide TV watchers, believed in Murata’s coronation, but their hot expectations turned into bitter disappointment. Murata looked more a winner than a loser to the eyes of the crowd that was greatly embarrassed at the verdict.

Murata, two years his junior ta 31, was a taller boxer by an inch and adopted an Arthur Abraham peek-a-boo style to nullify N’Dam’s busy shots with his gloves and arms almost completely, as he said after the bout, “No punches of N’Dam hurt me at all.” It seemed true, but the Frenchman threw seemingly some twice as many punches as Murata who averted almost all of them with his high and tight guard.

Hassan made a good start with busier combinations to Murata’s guard, while the Japanese prospect cautiously felt out his mobility and hand speed as well by blocking all of them in the first three rounds. Murata only sporadically threw solid left-right combos to the fleet-footed N’Dam.

At 2:30 of the fourth, Murata exploded a vicious countering right to the face of Hassan, who fell down and regained his feet–as he had tasted six knockdowns in his fight with Peter Quillin in 2012 and four visits to the deck in his David Lemieux bout in 2015. As he did, N’Dam displayed a remarkable recuperative power and kept riding a fast bicycle used for Tour de France that he would not absorb Murata’s powerful shot again.

The ex-Olympic gold medalist was in command in the fourth through seventh rounds with his strong pressure, and had him staggering to the ropes with a heavy left-light combo in the fifth and sixth sessions.

The seventh saw Hassan’s bicycle slip down twice with Murata’s constant pressure, but it might be true Murata had a difficulty catching up with such an incessantly moving target.

We saw the ninth and tenth rounds very close and hard to score since N’Dam kept moving around with Murata occasionally throwing jabs and one-two combinations to the Fancy Dan.

It was surprising that N’Dam, despite his absorption of Murata’s sporadic but stronger shots, maintained his speed on hand and foot even in the championship rounds, and proved he remained a really elusive target.

The newly crowned champ Hassan said, “I thought I won, but wasn’t sure as it isn’t my home turf but Murata’s. I took a few strong shots of Murata in every round, while I think I threw more jabs and combinations to him. Murata’s right hand was truly strong, but he replied on his right shot too much and wasn’t a complete boxer. But he is so much talented, and will become world champ in the future.”

The dejected loser Murata reviewed the fight, saying, “Of course, I thought I won. But I should have hit more punches to drop N’Dam once or twice more to clearly win. I feel sorry not to be able to win, but I could enjoy fighting in the world title bout, which became a great experience to me.”

All the newspapers here in Japan wondered the disputed decision since Murata was such a highly expected athlete who people strongly expected his success both in the amateur and professional fields and Murata drew the whole nation’s earnest attentions. The papers discussed which is more essential—effective punches or number of punches, that is, who the winner was—N’Dam or Murata.

There’s no use to cry over spilt split decision. There will be only a way to solve the controversy, which must be a rematch of the competitive rivals. Murata definitely deserves a grudge fight.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
WBA supervisor: Julio Thyme (Panama).

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