TAKAYAMA WINS WORLD TITLE FOR THE FIFTH TIME VIA 6TH ROUND TKO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 21 Aug 2016
Veteran Katsunari Takayama of Japan who at one time was under the promotional banner of ALA Promotions, has won the vacant WBO minimumweight title for the fifth time beating 18 year old prospect Riku Kano in Sanda, Japan.
Takayama had a cut which Hall of Fame mediaman Joe Koizumi said deteriorated in the 6th round forcing referee Danrex Tapdasan to call a halt at 0:58 of the round and go to the scorecards of the three judges, the Philippines' Salven Lagumbay scored a competitive fight 58-56, Waleska Roldan (US) and Lynne Carter (US) had it 59-56 and 59-55 respectively, all for the 33-yer-old ex-champion Takayama.
Koizumi reported that ?as expected, the notorious bleeder Takayama ?bled from a gash over the left eyebrow due to an accidental butt from the third on, but not as expected, the victor wasn?t his opponent but Takayama. When the referee Danrex Tapdasan of the Philippines halted the affair midway in round six, some 3,000 spectators, most of whom were Kano adherents, believed Kano was a winner by a TKO. But the fact was a technical decision, which resulted in a victory for Takayama against Sanda citizens? earnest expectations.?
Koizumi said Kano, a southpaw youngster, ?made a good start by connecting with southpaw right hooks to the onrushing veteran Takayama in the opening session. The second saw Takayama start to show his trademark quick combinations upstairs and downstairs regardless of precision. Since then, Kano occasionally caught the veteran with southpaw lefts followed by right hooks, but Takayama proved busier in mixing up by pinning Kano to the ropes. Kano, in round four, was so aggressive that he kept stalking the older foe, but Takayama landed a solid right to shake him up in the middle of the session.?
Kano punched at a time, while Takayama threw punches in combination to the face and the body. The audience was stunned to see the bout abruptly stopped midway in the sixth, when the ringside physician advised the third man to halt the affair against people?s expectations.?
In a post fight interview Takayama said, ?I wished to fight until the end to win the world belt. I feel sorry to the ambitious Kano, who is talented and will zoom up in the near future. We may have to fight again.?
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