PUMICPIC LOSES IN OPBF TITLE FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Mar 2014
The Philippines top contender Richard Pumicpic dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Japan?s Ryosuke Iwasa in Tokyo in an Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight title fight in Tokyo.
Hall-of-Fame media man and matchmaker Joe Koizumi reported that the much taller Iwasa?s height and reach advantage ?was a nuisance forcing Pumicpic (13-6-1, 4b KO?s) to have to bore in and although the challenger gamely kept going forward with occasional rights to the face of the champion, Iwasa connected with light but faster combinations against the onrushing Filipino.?
Two of the three judges scored the fight for Iwasa (17-1, 10 KO?s) 116-112 while the third judge had it a 114-114 draw.
Iwasa had previously won a ten round unanimous shutout decision over Jeker Buhawe on July 6, 2013 band a tebn roune unanimous decision over another Filipino Marjohn Yap on March 2, 2013.
In a supporting bout Richard Garcia (25-18-1, 7 KO?s) scored what Koizumi described as a flash knockdown against WBC No, 8 ranked Ryo Akaho (22-1-2, 15 KO?s) with a counter left-right combination in round one but Akaho ?connected with a vicious left hook to the face of Garcia who beat the count but immediately fell back and was counted out.?
Akaho had also scored a 6th round TKO over Buhawe on November 2 last year and a 4th round knockout of Elmar Francisco last June 1.
It was Garcia?s first defeat in four fights in Japan after the Filipino previously beat Masayuki Kuroda and Kenji Yoshida, and drew with Go Onaga.
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