Home Boxing News Closet Classic VII-Koji Sato Vs Makoto Fuchigami

Closet Classic VII-Koji Sato Vs Makoto Fuchigami

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit down and write, having moved house, changed jobs and various other “real life issues”, but finally I’ve managed to get back to what I know and love. Watching boxing and writing about it. That mean a return to the Closet Classic series that I was doing before life got a little bit crazy.

For this Closet Classic I’ve decided to go up to Middleweight and roll the time machine back to December 12th 2011. The bout in took place at the Korakuen Hall and pitted former world title challenger Koji Sato (20-1, 18) up against Makoto Fuchigami (17-6, 8) in what was a bit of a slow burner, but ended with fireworks.

Coming in Sato was the Oriental champion and the pre-eminent Japanese Middleweight of the age. He was best known for for losing to the then WBA champion Felix Sturm in 2009 but had gone 6-0 (5) following that bout to run his record in OPBF title bouts to an impressive 9-0 (8). As for Fuchigami, who would subsequently face Gennady Golovkin, he was the Japanese champion and on a 7-0 (6) run of his own, including 3 defenses of the national title.

The bout was billed as a JBC/OPBF unification bout with Sato understandably the favourite. He was a destroyer with monstrous power and an outstanding amateur record of 133-3 (101) but Fuchigami was a man in his physical prime at 28 and with good results under his belt against the likes of Tetsuya Suzuki, Fukutari Ujii and Takayuki Hosokawa.

With Fuji TV airing the bout as part of their Diamond Glove series and with the Korakuen Hall sold out it seemed everyone in Tokyo knew this was something to get excited about, and it turned out to be something really special.

From the off it was Fuchigami on the front foot, looking to make the most of his southpaw jab and whisking through his straight left hand. Throughout the opening round the style and stance of Fuchigami seemed to give Sato fits and caused the crowd to get behind Fuchigami with a loud “Makoto” chant. It wasn’t an explosive round but it was a clear one for Fuchigami.

In the second round Sato began to try and find a home for his own jab but that merely gave openings to Fuchigami who started to stand his ground more and landed some stinging left hands early in the round. Despite the success of Fuchigami it was clear that Sato believed his power was going to be the key and that was evident by the way he was fighting, as it he knew he could hurt Fuchigami at any point. That power told in the final minute of the second round as the two traded blows with Fuchigami going down from a right hand. He regain his feet almost instantly but it gave Sato confidence and he looked to close the show in the later stages of the round as the bout suddenly lit up and the crowd began a “Koji” chant.

Fuchigami came out firing in round 3 and Sato was forced to respond with with two dragged into spells of trading blows throw the round. It was clear that Fuchigami felt he had tasted the best Sato had to offer but he was rocked hard as the two began to war in a crazy round and it was Sato who appeared to be suddenly taking over, rocking the head of Fuchigami several times through the round. It wasn’t pretty but it was wild and fun with Fuchigami almost taunting the big puncher to try and hit him.

Despite eating bombs in round 3 Fuchigami came out for the next round full of life and quickly backed Sato on to the ropes, though did little to really push the advantage. Midway through the round Fuchigami was caught with a monstrous right hand and about 20 seconds later landed his own clean left hand. Despite the few big clean shots the round was relatively quiet until the final 10 seconds with the momentum clearly swinging to Fuchigami and the crowd responding to him.

The constant stream of jabs seemed to be marking up Sato’s face and he was looking more and more tentative though he did begin round 5 on the front foot, trying to walk down Fuchigami as if he knew he had to turn things around. Fuchigami, with a bounce in his step, seemed plased by Sato coming forward and continued to land his right jab at will with a left hand occasionally following up. That forced Sato to respond and mid way through the round he snapped back the head of Fuchigami as the fight again began picking up and Sato’s power again looked like it could end the fight with Fuchigami sent reeling temporarily

The 6th round saw Fuchigami’s movement slow and Sato suddenly came to life looking to see off Fuchigami with his bombs, out of nowhere a real fight seemed to break out and both were slinging in big shots with Fuchigami forced to fight Sato’s wild fight, and almost paying for it, being dropped just seconds before the bell. Suddenly the fight appeared to have turned on a sixpence with Fuchigami slowing an Sato making him pay for all his wasted movement.

In round 7 the action action continued to be wild with both men throwing crazy bombs that looked like they were being thrown with nasty intent. Again it was the power of Sato that seemed more effective, rocking Fuchigami, but the straighter and more accurate shots of Fuchigami were taking their toll whilst Sato seemed to miss with many of his full blooded hooks. Despite Sato’s shots often missing he had landed enough to bloody the nose of Fuchigami.

The fight to head up in round 8 with Fuchigami starting fast and hurting Sato for the first time, Sato slugged back and had Fuchigami in trouble as the fight seemed move up another gear. By now both men were slowing, their defenses were porous and almost ever shot seemed to connect. That forced Fuchigami to eat a lot of heavy leather and at one point he was beaten across the ring and then back. Sadly for Sato his momentum was slowed as a clash of heads forced the doctor to look at him, though he was quickly back in charge and soon rocked Fuchigami again before being badly hurt himself. The final 30 seconds of the round was nothing short of amazing with the two loading up on everything they threw and failing to miss a shot.

At the end of round 8 both were bloodied with Fuchigami’s nose leaking blood and Sato’s left eye being swollen and bloodied. More telling however was the fact Sato looked all in and was breathing heavily. Fuchigami seemed to realise Sato was a spent fight and immediately went on the attack in round 9 and Sato responded in the only way he could, throwing tired looking arm punches. Fuchigami kept coming and after 85 seconds of the round the referee eventually stopped Sato.

For Sato the bout was followed by retirement, and he’d never fight again, retiring whilst still in his early 30’s. For Fuchigami however it opened the door to bigger opportunities, that included a 2012 fight with Gennady Golovkin. Today Fuchigami continues to fight but has never looked like the same fighter that stopped Sato and has gone 5-5 since, suffering losses to Golovkin, Hikaru Nishida and Akio Shibata. Incidentally he’ll return to the ring in September as he faces Nishida in their third bout, and will be looking to reclaim the Japanese Middleweight title and avenge 2 defeats to the unheralded Kawasaki Nitta gym fighter.

Scott Graveson covers the Asian boxing scene for www.asianboxing.info

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