RAMOS WINS WBA SUPER BANTAM TITLE WITH 7TH ROUND KO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 11 Jul 2011
Rico Ramos of the United States knocked out Akifumi Shimoda in the seventh round in Atlantic City on Sunday, Manila Time, to win the WBA super-bantamweight title.
The unbeaten Ramos smashed the 26-year-old southpaw from Japan with one punch. It was a vicious left hook to the jaw that sent Shimoda to the canvas.
Shimoda beat the count and got up nine but staggered sideways and stumbled to the floor again, rolling on to his back.
Referee Benjy Esteves counted him out 2 minutes and 46 seconds into the seventh round.
Ramos said "I can't believe it. I didn't think the hook was going to land. I didn't think I was going to knock him out."
Ramos improved his record to 20-0 with his 11th knockout.
Shimoda's record fell to 23-3, with one drawn, as he failed to become the first Japanese champion to retain his belt in a fight in the United States. He lost for only the second time in his 14 most recent fights.
Making his first defense of a title that he won in Tokyo in January with a unanimous decision over Japan's Ryol Li Lee, Shimoda controlled the pace of the fight in the early rounds with his aggressive style and solid lefts to the body of Ramos and scored with solid combinations.
An accidental clash of heads in the fifth round opened a cut above the right eye of Ramos, making him worry that the fight might be stopped early and forcing him to become more aggressive.
Ramos pressed the attack and took advantage of his first opening to win the crown.
The newly crowned champion said in a post fight interview "After the fifth I felt him getting tired and I knew I had to go for it. I was cut and had to go for it before they stopped it. I'm glad he came to the United States but I'm keeping this in the United States."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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