The revolving door continues in boxing’s tiniest weight division.
Pedro Taduran grew to become a two-time strawweight titlist after a ninth-round stoppage of unbeaten Ginjiro Shigeoka. A barrage of punches left Shigeoka defenseless, which pressured referee Steve Willis to cease the combat at 2:50 of the ninth spherical.
With the win, Taduran reclaimed the IBF strawweight title Sunday at Shiga Daihatsu Area in Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Shigeoka (11-1, 9 knockouts) entered his second title protection as The Ring’s No. 1 rated strawweight. He’d hoped to show away the previous titleholder and maintain not less than one belt within the household. Yudai Shigeoka, Ginjiro’s older brother, misplaced his WBC title to Melvin Jerusalem earlier this yr.
As an alternative, one other strawweight belt made its method again to the Philippines. Taduran, No. 8 at 105, was dominant from the beginning, as he took away Shigeoka’s vaunted physique assault and utilized considered one of his personal.
Concern grew for Shigeoka’s well being because the combat superior into the second half. His nostril bloodied and proper all however swollen shut, Shigeoka, 24, was not at a degree the place he might fend off the 27-year-old southpaw.
The combat might have been stopped at any level from the seventh spherical onward. Taduran closed the present in fashion as he had Shigeoka pinned alongside the ropes. A pair of left hooks landed to the physique as a spent Shigeoka tried in useless to cowl up. He was finally rescued by the referee as Taduran launched into celebration.
Concern grew for Shigeoka after he collapsed in his nook. Rapid medical consideration was paid as he was carried into an ambulance and brought to a close-by hospital for additional analysis.
In the meantime, the night time marked the rebirth of ‘Child Pedro Heneral.’
Taduran (17-4-1, 13 KOs) delivered a career-best efficiency as he entered his second title reign. His first reign started with a fourth-round knockout of countryman Samuel Salva of their Sept. 2019 vacant title combat.
The lone profitable protection wasn’t all that profitable. Taduran settled for a technical draw with the headbutt-prone Daniel Valladares in Feb. 2020. He misplaced the belt one yr later to Rene Mark Cuarto of their Feb. 2021 all-Filipino conflict. Cuarto repeated the feat one yr later, in a Feb. 2022 technical choice victory.
Three wins have now adopted for Taduran, none greater than what he achieved on Sunday.
The bout aired stay on ABEMA-TV in Japan.
