NISHIOKA RETAINS WBC TITLE, KOBORI LOSES WBA CROWN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 Jan 2009
WBC super bantamweight champion Yoshiaki Nishioka has retained his title with a 12th round stoppage of Mexico?s Genaro Garcia in a world title double-header at Pacifico in Yokohama.
The Japan Times reported that Nishioka ?landed his left with precision? dropping the Mexican challenger in the fourth and ninth rounds in the featured bout Sunday.
The southpaw piled up the pressure on Garcia in the final round and a series of hard left uppercuts had the weary Mexican on the verge of going down again before respected international referee Bruce McTavish of New Zealand who has lived in the Philippines for some 40 years called a halt at 57 seconds of the final round.
Nishioka improved his record to 33-4-3 with 20 knockouts while Garcia who was ranked No. 7 by the WBC dropped to 38-7 with 22 knockouts.
In a post fight interview the Japan Times quoted Nishioka as claiming he hurt both fists but added ?I was really determined to get the knockout. I knew everyone was expecting a KO since I was in the lead. My New Year has finally come.?
In a WBA lightweight title fight Japan's Yusuke Kobori failed in his first title defense losing a unanimous decision to challenger Paulus Moses of Namibia.
Judges Roberto Ramirez and Pinit Prayadsad scored the fight 115-113 for Moses but the third judge Derek Milham gave only one round to the defending champion with a 119-109 scorecard that hardly reflected the closeness of the bout.
Kobori offered no excuses for his loss saying ?My opponent was the better fighter and so I thought I had lost the decision.? Kobori said. ?He would not box the way I wanted to and knew my style very well. I have to think about my future plans.?
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