Osaka, Japan: Bantam: Shinsuke Yamanaka (26-0-2) W TKO 7 Anselmo Moreno (36-5-1). Super Bantam: Hozumi Hasegawa (36-5) W RTD 9 Hugo Ruiz (36-4).
Yamanaka vs. Moreno
Yamanaka makes a successful 11th defence of his WBC title with stoppage of former WBA champion Anselmo Moreno in a fight that saw both fighters on the floor. There was the usual cautious exchange of jabs at the start of the first round from these two southpaws. Moreno had some success with his jab and straight rights and became over confident leaving himself open. Yamanaka saw the chance and as Moreno started to throw a looping right hook Yamanaka stepped inside and landed a short right hook of his own to the chin which put Moreno down. He was up quickly and the bell went shortly after the eight count was completed. Moreno was winging rights again in the second with Yamanaka backing up and looking to counter. It was mainly a low action round until the last 10 seconds when they traded some hard punches.
Moreno was again pressing the action in the third. Both landed some good lefts with difference being that Yamanaka was throwing straight punches and Moreno tending throw in a wide loop. With his side-on approach and crouching style Moreno was making in difficult for Yamanaka to land with his lefts and the champion’s more square on style meant Moreno was able to land his looping lefts. The fight got a little untidy but the referee kept the action flowing by separating them quickly. Yamanaka came forward more in the fourth but Moreno caught him with two right jabs and a right hook and Yamanaka went down on his back. He rolled over and was up quickly but when the action continued after the eight count a left from Moreno had Yamanaka stumbling and Moreno landed two more lefts to the head before the bell. After four rounds two of the judges had Yamanaka in front 38-37 and the other had the fight even. After the shock of hitting the canvas Yamanaka opened up more and they exchange some quality punches. Yamanaka got through with a nice right/left combination but a right from Moreno saw Yamanaka stumble again.
The sixth saw the beginning of the end. Yamanaka landed a left over the low held right of Moreno, The punch sent Moreno tumbling back into the ropes and down. The Panamanian made it to his feet and after the eight count he managed to get inside and hold but Yamanaka scored with two more lefts to the head. In his hurry to finish things Yamanaka missed with a punch but threw Moreno face down on the floor. Since it was not a knockdown Moreno got some respite and the referee warned Yamanaka. The champion managed to land two more lefts before the bell and Moreno was in trouble again. Yamanaka is a good finisher. In the seventh a straight left sent Moreno down stretched out on the canvas with his head resting on the bottom rope. Somehow he beat the count but a series of rights and left sent him sprawling into a corner and as he slumped to the floor the referee quickly waived the fight over.
Now 18 wins by KO/TKO for the 33-year-old Yamanaka who needed a split decision to get by Moreno when they clashed in September last year. Yamanaka lacks a really outstanding challenger within the WBC ratings but a unification match with WBO champion Marlon Tapales would be a good fight if it could be worked out.”Chemito” Moreno, suffers his fist loss by KO/TKO. He made 11 defences of his WBA title before losing it on a technical decision against Juan Carlos Payano in 2014. Before that he had challenged Abner Mares for the WBC super bantam title in 2012 but lost a wide unanimous decision. He earned this second shot at Yamanaka by winning the WBC Silver title with a victory over Thai Suriyan in April this year.
Hasegawa vs. Ruiz
Hasegawa becomes a three division champion with incident filled win over Ruiz. Both fighters started cautiously probing with their jabs. As Hasegawa moved in his head came up and crashed into the face of Ruiz. The champion immediately stepped back pawing at his nose. The referee stopped the action and examined a cut on the bridge of Ruiz’s nose and as per the WBC rules he deducted a point from Hasegawa. With only1:40 gone in the round it was not a good start for either fighter. Hasegawa was a point down and Ruiz had suffered a serious injury that would decide the eventual outcome of the fight. Heads clashed again before the end of the round which probably went to Hasegawa. Ruiz had height and reach over Hasegawa but the Japanese was quick so able to get inside Ruiz’s reach.
After a cautious start to the second Ruiz landed a sharp left hook and later a long right seemed to hurt Hasegawa. The Japanese fighter scored with some straight lefts but just before the bell Ruiz landed three straight rights to take the round. In the third another clash of heads opened a vertical cut over the left eye of Ruiz. The referee stopped the fight to have the cut examined by the doctor. He took no further action even though Hasegawa pawed at his own forehead indication clearly that it was a head that caused the cut and another point should have been deducted. Both had some success as the round progressed but again Ruiz seemed to take the points with some long rights.
Hasegawa had a better fourth landing with his long lefts including one that landed smack on the injured nose of Ruiz and he was ducking inside Ruiz’s counters. After four rounds the scores were 39-36 and 38-37 for Ruiz and 38-37 for Hasegawa. Ruiz tried to force the fight hard over the next three rounds but was constantly walking into hard right counters from Hasegawa. The referee twice warned the fighters to be careful of their heads in the sixth and again Ruiz walked away from an exchange as Hasegawa’s head again crashed into his face. In the last 20 seconds of the seventh yet again their heads clashed with Hasegawa getting cut over his left eye. The referee did not see how it had happened so took no action. A replay showed the crowd the incident with their heads banging together. The referee took time out at the start of the eighth to consult the supervisor who informed the referee it was a clash of heads so Ruiz suffered a point deduction. The referee asked the doctor to look at Hasegawa’s cut in the eighth but the fight was allowed to continue. The referee had to tell them both to watch their heads as the round progressed.
The action was about even but with just 13 seconds left in the round once again Hasegawa’s head crashed into the face of Ruiz. The Mexican walked away from the action. The referee gave him a few seconds to recover and the fight resumed but even allowing for the time given Ruiz to recover the clock ran well over. As they started the ninth Hasegawa had reversed the positions in the fight with two judges having him in front 78-72 and 76-74 and the third seeing Ruiz up 76-74.After a steady start to the ninth which again saw the referee warn the fighters about their heads Ruiz threw himself into a furious attack. He drove Hasegawa to the ropes and then within a second the fight became a wild slugging match. Both fighters threw furious punches from each hand and with both wide open every punch was getting home.
The fight was decided by the fact that Hasegawa’s punches were landing time and again on Ruiz’s damaged nose and he was forced to back away in pain. Hasegawa followed up and landed some straight lefts and with Ruiz’s face a bloody mess from the blood pouring from his nose it was no surprise that he could not go on. It was an upset win for the 35-year-old Hasegawa, a former WBC bantam and feather champion. He had been floored three times and halted by Koko Martinez in a challenge for the IBF super bantam title in April 2014.He did not fight again for almost 13 months however he fought his way back into contention with a wide unanimous decision over Horacio Garcia 29-0 and is now a three decision champion. Ruiz, 29, could count himself unlucky as the injury that eventually caused him to lose was as a result of a but from Hasegawa and he lost his title in his first defence. Hopefully he will get another chance as he showed his power in wiping out Jorge Ceja in just 51 seconds.
