Japan's Boxing Mix and Match; Ali Didn't Take a Knee Versus Liston
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 05 Mar 2025
Davis takes a knee against Roach.
I just saw the video on X of that particular segment of the recent Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach fight where Tank belatedly went down on one knee after taking a left on the eye from Lamont.
The referee at first started to make a mandatory count but afterwards changed his mind and let Davis wipe his gloves clean and allowed the fight to continue without calling a knockdown. A knockdown could have converted the two judges drawn scorecards into a point margin each for Roach resulting to a split decision victory for Lamont instead of the official majority draw result allowing Tank Davis to keep his world lightweight title.
The ongoing furor therefore is justifiable.
The referee explained his mis-action as Roach's flicking left jab not powerful and damaging enough for Davis to belatedly went down on one knee and warranting a mandatory eight count knockdown. It was later explained by Davis that the punch aggravated his already irritated right eye which was allegedly caused by some coloring chemical used for his braided hair.
Still, going down on a knee was not the proper way for a fighter to react in self-defense. And the referee was obliged to call a knockdown and administer at least a mandatory eight count, giving Roach an automatic 10-8 round. He had no right to make his own interpretation of a basic boxing rule.
Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay experienced worse when some liniments used by his opponent Sonny Liston for some muscle pain went into his eyes causing burning sensations, "temporarily blinding him", as the then very young, still quite naive heavyweight contender felt.
But unlike Davis, Ali did not go down on one knee, hoping the referee or his corner, or both would come to his succor. Obviously in pain and blinking on both eyes, Ali used his bicycle to avoid Liston who was by then like a raging bull out for brutal revenge after rounds of frustration and punishments. And every time, Liston had him cornered, Ali would clinch and hold. Until the bell saved him. During the break, his trainer Angelo Dundee simply wiped away with wet towel what's blinding Ali.
Ali proceeded to resume his one-sided beating of Liston in the succeeding rounds, forcing the feared defending champion to surrender on his stool before the seventh round, thus crowning a new world heavyweight king.
A no contest ruling in the Davis-Roach title bout is most likely making possible an immediate title rematch.
Meanwhile, the domination in lower weight classes of Japanese fighters and the growing clout of Japanese promoters are becoming more and more palpable especially these last two years, allowing them to run their sort of mix and match game.
Just recently, Daigo Higa had a second crack at winning a world title at bantamweight by fighting this time a second fellow Japanese who holds the WBA title in less than half a year. Unfortunately, Higa was held to a unanimous draw by Seiya Tsusumi who had earlier won the WBA crown from bitter domestic rival Takuma Inoue.
It can be recalled that just last September, Higa fought WBO titlist Yoshiki Takei in a barnburner of a title fight that took the thunder from Naoya Inoue's successful super bantamweight title defense against TJ Doheny.
It's very possible to see Higa back again in another world title crack against a third fellow Japanese, most likely IBF champion Ryosuke Nishida who had wrested the title from Jason Moloney of Australia.
The WBC belt is held by Junto Nakatani who is being groomed for the biggest all-Japanese world title fight in history against Naoya Inoue.
Another all-Japanese world title fight is on schedule with newly crowned WBC flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji battling two year WBA titleholder Yuri Seigo Akui in a unification.
The Japanese are also playing this mix and match with other foreign champions.
On March 29, newly-crowned IBF light flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki will try to wrest the IBF flyweight crown from the head of Mexico's Angel Ayala in Aichi, Japan. If Yabuki loses, he can go back as IBF light flyweight titlist. If he wins, it will be his choice what championship to keep. How lucky can one get!
Yabuki won his present crown from Sivenathi Nontshinga of South Africa by knockout in Japan. He was supposedly obliged to defend against Filipino mandatory challenger Christian Araneta but he is enticed to take this challenge against Ayala at flyweight.
Ayala won the then vacant IBF flyweight belt by stopping Filipino Dave Apolinario in Mexico. Among the top rated contenders for Ayala are Filipinos Esneth Domingo and Vince Paras.
Sometime this month, former minimumweight and light flyweight titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi will be challenging reigning WBO flyweight champion Anthony Olascuaga for his title. Curiously, Kyoguchi was only rated #14 in the latest WBO ranking. Ahead of Kyoguchi are 13 other mostly Latino contenders that include ex titlists Felix Alvarado and Jonathan Gonzalez and also Filipino Esneth Domingo.
Lastly, WBO light flyweight titlist Shokichi Iwata who was virtually handed the then vacant crown by being pitted against an obviously choice opponent, has opted to defend against #2 Puerto Rican Rene Santiago who already has four losses, bypassing Filipino top contender Regie Suganob.
Well, that's the Golden rule of boxing. He who has the gold, rules.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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