Home Fight Results Shinsuke Yamanaka TKO’s Anselmo Moreno

Shinsuke Yamanaka TKO’s Anselmo Moreno

When WBC Bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yanamaka (26-0-2, 18 KO’s) fought former WBA Bantamweight Anselmo Moreno (35-5-1, 12 KO’s) in Sept. 2015, in Tokyo, they fought a tactical, nip and tuck contest that many argued should have went Moreno’s way (Yamanaka won by split decision). The rematch Friday in Osaka, Japan, took on a different tone as Yamanaka left no doubts scoring arguably the biggest and most exciting win of his career scoring a seventh round TKO over Moreno in a bout that far from tactical. Instead, Yamanaka – Moreno II was explosive and action packed from beginning to end.

Normally a calculate and steady boxer, Moreno started the bout very fast taking the bout to the defending champion in the first round. However, Moreno paid for his aggression as he was knocked down by way of a Yamanaka counter left hand late in the first round.

Undeterred, Moreno kept up the pace and the aggression in the second and third rounds. In the fourth, Moreno floored Yamanaka by way of a hard counter right hook. At the end of four rounds Moreno was up on two of the three scorecards.

In round five, the power dynamic and momentum of the fight began to change. While Yamanaka was stunned and knocked off-balance again by way of a Moreno right hook, the defending champ started to fight with more and more force, consistently landing power shots flush on Moreno. One minute into round six Yamanaka put Moreno on the deck by way of a hellacious left hand. Moreno got up, but was visibly hurt. Yamanaka continued on the attack landing hard shots throughout the round. By the end round you could tell the end was near.

Yamanaka didn’t let up in the seventh and :25 seconds into the round he dropped Moreno courtesy of hard left hand. Moreno was basically done at this point. Thirty seconds later Moreno was knocked down again and referee Daniel Van de Wiele called a halt to the contest. This was the 11th title defense for Yamanaka.

Prior to this bout some wondered if the 33 year-old Yamanaka was starting to decline. With this exciting and emphatic win over Moreno, Shinsuke Yamanaka showed that not only does he have something left, but staked a major claim as the best Bantamweight in the world.