Yudai Shigeoka returned to the win column however to not his beforehand loved degree of dominance.
The previous WBC strawweight titlist rebounded from his first profession defeat with a unanimous determination win over the Philippines’ Samuel Salva. Scores had been 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94 for Shigeoka of their ABEMA-TV aired ten-round bout Saturday at Yamato Area in Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Shigeoka (9-1, 5 knockouts) fought for the primary time since his beautiful defeat to Melvin Jerusalem on March 31. It kicked off a household free-fall; youthful brother Ginjiro Shigeoka misplaced his IBF title to Pedro Taduran final month in Otsu.
Salva—whose lone defeat got here versus Taduran–traveled to Japan like a fighter who forgot the script. The visiting Filipino opened sturdy as he landed straight proper arms on an unsuspecting Shigeoka. It set an uncomfortable tone, as Shigeoka was pressured to place in work to ultimately surge forward.
Shigeoka, The Ring’s No. 5-rated strawweight, discovered a house for his left hand to the physique. Salva took the pictures effectively, going towards the scouting report that steered it will be his undoing.
Two-way exchanges had been frequent all through the second half of the combat. Salva briefly surprised Shigeoka in spherical seven however the specter of a knockout rapidly evaporated. Shigeoka loaded up along with his proper hook upstairs in addition to his left hand excessive. The 26-year-old southpaw fought by means of a Salva rally early within the tenth to shut the spherical and combat sturdy.
Salva (20-2, 13 KOs) snapped a three-fight win streak however was valiant in defeat.
Shigeoka held the total model of the WBC strawweight title for lower than six months. He received an interim title final April and upgraded when he dethroned Panya Pradabsri (43-2, 27 KOs) final October. Ginjiro received his IBF title on the identical present.
Additionally on the present, Kenbun Torres pulled off his second straight upset versus a WBO No. 1-rated contender.
This time, it was unbeaten KJ Cataraja (now 17-1, 13 KOs) who was faraway from a title shot as Osaka’s Torres (15-5, 10 KOs) claimed a cut up determination win. Cataraja was the No. 1 contender to WBO 115-pound titlist Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs).
Torres beforehand blasted out Reymart Gaballo, the WBO’s No. 1-rated bantamweight on the time, within the first spherical on Might 10 in Pasay Metropolis, Philippines.
Each bouts aired on the undercard of the Lerato Dlamini-Tomoki Kameda rematch.
