WHO IS TOSHIAKI NISHIOKA?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 10 Oct 2012
WBO and IBF super bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs) will face WBC super champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4, 24 KOs) of Japan at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on October 13, 2012. Nishioka is ranked as the number one super bantamweight in the world by The Ring. Unlike most Japanese world champions who prefer to fight in Japan, he loves to fight outside of his own country.
Nishioka was born in Kakogawa, Hyōgo, Japan, in July 25, 1976, and started boxing at age ten on the recommendation of his father. He got an amateur record of 10?2 and won his professional debut against Yuko Shishido by a first round knockout in Himeji, Hyōgo, on December 11, 1994.
But Nishioka was knocked out by Masahiko Nakamura in the fourth round of his second fight at the Korakuen Hall and was injured and had to be taken on a stretcher. In June 2000, he challenged the WBC bantamweight champion Veeraphol Sahaprom in Takasago, Hyōgo, and lost via a unanimous decision. The second world title fight at the Yokohama Arena in September 2001 resulted in a split draw.
Nishioka challenged Veeraphol for the third time at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in October 2003, but the result was a draw and considered a hometown decision. In his fourth world title shot against Veeraphol in March 2004, he lost via a unanimous decision by a wide point margin at the Saitama Super Arena.
Nishioka captured the WBC super bantamweight interim title against Napapol Kiatisakchokchai of Thailand at the Pacifico Yokohama on September 15, 2008. After the fight, Napapol?s special coach Veeraphol whom he fought four times, climbed into the ring to congratulate Nishioka.
Nishioka acquired the full version of the WBC super bantamweight title on December 18, 2008 when its previous holder, Israel Vazquez, was stripped due to medical problems. In January 3, 2009 again at the Pacifico Yokohama, he defended that title by knocking out Mexico's Genaro Garcia in the final round, the ?real Genaro Garcia? who lost to ALA boy Genesis Servania by TKO at the Resorts World, Pasay City.
On May 23, 2009, Nishioka successfully defended his title against Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez at the Monterrey Arena in Mexico. Nishioka was knocked down in the first round and went to knock out Gonzalez in the third round. He then won his third defense by a third round technical knockout against Ivan Hernandez at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on October 10, 2009.
Nishioka was awarded with the 2009 WBC Knockout of the Year. He defeated Filipino Balweg Bangoyan via a technical knockout in the fifth round to have four consecutive title defenses all wins by knockout, at the Nippon Budokan on April 30, 2010.
Nicknamed ?Speed King,? Nishioka was named Japan's Fighter of the Year in 2010 and he received a challenge by a video from Fernando Montiel demanding a fight during the awards ceremony in January 2011. Nishioka accepted the challenge but before a contract was signed, Montiel lost to Donaire in February.
In his seventh defense, Nishioka fought Rafael Marquez at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas, on October 1, 2011. At the end of four rounds, all three judges had Marquez leading in their scorecards. Nishioka landed several left and right blows on target to win by a unanimous decision. The WBC has granted Nishioka the Emeritus Champion status on March 15, 2012.
Trainer Robert Garcia cautioned that his boxer Donaire will have to be very alert because of Nishioka?s vast ring experience.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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