Full Report: Yamanaka halts Moreno in see-saw spectacle

By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Sumio Yamada

Unbeaten Japanese southpaw Shinsuke Yamanaka (26-0-2, 18 KOs), 118, impressively kept his WBC bantamweight belt as he came off the canvas and finally scored a crowd-pleasing TKO victory over mandatory challenger Anselmo Moreno (36-5-1, 12 KOs), 117.75, Panama, at 1:09 of the seventh round on Friday in Osaka, Japan.

Provided that you are a boxing judge scoring a close contest and give each of them six points, your score is even 114-114. Should you score one more point to either of them and one point less to the other, it becomes 115-113. The first encounter of Yamanaka and Moreno resulted in all the judges tallying 115-113—two for Yamanaka and one for Moreno. Split decision. Japanese people believed in Yamanaka’s victory, while Panamanian TV watchers in Moreno’s win. Their revancha (rematch) was duly inevitable.

While waiting for his rematch at Yamanaka, Moreno participated in a WBC eliminator for the mandatory position with the WBC silver belt at stake, winning a unanimous nod over #1 ranked Thailander Suriyan Sor Rungvisai in Panama this April. The champ Yamanaka barely kept his belt by overcoming a rough-and-tumble affair with Dominican Liborio Solis, each hitting the deck twice despite the champ winning a unanimous verdict last March.

It was a contest of southpaws with Yamanaka, 33, being a one-punch finisher and Moreno, 31, an artful dodger whose defensive skills were superb and superior. Moreno displayed a furious opening attack to the champ, who absorbed some of his sharp leathers but dropped the Panamanian with a left cross in the closing seconds of the first round. Moreno quickly stood up and resumed fighting as if his visit to the canvas was just a nightmare.

The second and third were close rounds as Yamanaka, making his eleventh defense, threw solid jabs and overhand lefts to the elusive Panamanian, who occasionally fought back with southpaw left crosses in nearly even terms.

In round four Moreno surprisingly decked Yamanaka with a well-timed countering right hook. The champ, however, kept his composure to cope with the Panamanian’s follow-up attack, which couldn’t catch up with the cool upright stylist.

The open scoring system, after the fourth, announced the interim tallies as 38-37 twice for Yamanaka and 37-37.

Moreno, in the fifth, was apparently in command with left-right combinations to the still bewildered champ after the previous knockdown. But Yamanaka raised his guard to protect Moreno’s quick but less powerful combos to the face.

The sixth witnessed Yamanaka explode a vicious left cross, badly sprawling Moreno to the canvas. It’s his trademark left called “God’s Left” that greatly hurt Moreno, who, however, pulled himself up and desperately wihstood the crisis by cleverly clinching the willing mixer with the bell coming to his rescue.

Yamanaka, in round seven, accelerated his attack hard and floored Moreno with a devastating left again in the Panamanian’s corner. It was amazing that Moreno, after such a bad knockdown, showed his heart and resumed fighting on. Yamanaka swarmed over the fading foe and downed him again with solid and quick combos, when the referee Daniel Van de Wiele (Belgium) wisely declared a well-received halt. Moreno hit the canvas four times, while Yamanaka once. It’s truly a give-and-take extravaganza.

After the sixth, the officials had tallied as follows: Burt Clements (US) 56-55, David Sutherland (US) 57-55, Nicolas Hidalgo (Venezuela) 57-55, all in favor of the defending champ Yamanaka.

The victor Yamanaka, who registered seven stoppages in eleven defenses, reviewed the game, “I was satisfied with my clean shots catching the defense master Moreno. I was happy to see the tough challenger Moreno going down with my shots. I also truly appreciate The Ring Magazine’s belt that was presented to the winner of this bout.”

The crestfallen loser repented of his defeat, saying, “I fought more aggressively than in the first encounter in order to win clearly this time, but Yamanaka’s left hand was really powerful. I’ll move up to the 122-pound category next year.”

The champ’s impresario Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions greatly praised his boy, “It’s remarkable that Yamanaka finished such a difficult and elusive target as Moreno in such a fine fashion. I’ll have to look for a suitable challenger next.”

The most successful defenses by Japanese world champs were scored by WBA 108-pound champ Yoko Gushiken, who retained it thirteen times in 1980. Yamanaka’s compatriot Takashi Uchiyama this year failed in his twelfth defense, suffering a second-round shocker at the hand of Jezreel Corrales this April. Now it is Yamanaka that our aficionados highly expect to break the immortal record. He is capable of doing so.

This must be unianimously Fight of the Year. Without this, what fight will be the one?

The winner this time is clearer than a 115-113 tally.

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