The Japanese takeover of the bantamweight division is complete after two sanctioning body belts changed hands over the past few days.
On Monday, former kickboxer Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KOs) wrestled the WBO strap from Jason Moloney (27-3, 19 KOs) with an unexpected unanimous decision win at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Two days early Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1 KO) lifted the IBF belt from Emmanuel Rodriguez (22-3, 13 KOs) at the EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan.
Southpaws Takei and Nishida, both 27, join compatriots Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20 KOs) and Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) as titleholders at 118-pounds. Nakatani, another lefty, holds the WBC belt while Inoue successfully defended his WBA bauble by unanimous decision against veteran Sho Ishida (34-3, 17 KOs) on the Tokyo Dome card.
The belts look destined to remain in the Land of the Rising Sun for some time to come.
Takei boxed a clever fight against Moloney, proving there was more to his game than pure power. An early point deduction for straying low didn’t derail his ambition as he comprehensively outboxed the 33-year-old Australian to win by scores of 117-110 and 116-111 twice.
Nishida, rated at No 9 by The Ring at bantamweight, was equally impressive against Puerto Rico’s Rodriguez, 31. The light-punching Nishida opted to stand in the pocket and trade for much of the contest, a decision that left him with both the IBF belt and a misshapen face at the final bell. Rodriguez was down from a hard left to the body in the fourth round and for a moment it looked like he wouldn’t be able to continue. The fight ultimately went the distance with Nishida securing a unanimous decision victory by scores of 117-110 and 115-112 twice.
With the win, Nishida becomes just the second world champion for promoter and manager Takashi Edagawa, who guided Nobuo Nashiro to the WBA junior bantamweight title 18 years ago.
Mike Altamura, who acted as matchmaker and advisor to Edagawa’s Muto Boxing Gym for the bout, said he was not expecting the style of fight that Nishida delivered.
“Man, he even surprised me how much he waged war in the trenches,” the Australian told The Ring the day after the victory. “It’s good to know he has that in reserve. I thought it was over in the fourth the way Manny sank to the canvas after the body shot. Full credit to him for coming back stronger.”
The one thing that didn’t surprise Altamura was Nishida’s precision power punching.
“A well-timed body shot hits different, regardless of the supposed power. Nishida has dropped solid guys to the head too with well timed shots,” Altamura said.
“I knew there were times Nishida would need to hold his feet and exchange as Rodriguez is tricky and deceivingly long, and Nishida would need to be prepared for such moments. But I expected him to utilize the jab and keep it longer. The team assured me weeks ago that tactically Ryo could wage war in the trenches and time Rodriguez in between his punches, but to see it for almost 12 rounds was incredible. True samurai spirit.
“The body assault was definitely part of the strategy. Nishida’s timing is exquisite so it’s no surprise to us he landed that punch. Full credit to Manny for rising and coming back stronger. He’s a true champion and ring warrior.
“There was an expectation leading into the fight that Rodriguez is a terrific fighter and he wouldn’t be coming to Osaka to freely relinquish his strap. We knew he’s a multi-faceted, courageous fighter and that his strongest rounds would likely be mid-late fight. He won a few of those middle rounds but he was working tirelessly too, so there was never any panic given the early lead Nishida built.”
Photos of Nishida’s face posted to social media after the bout proved he had been in a fight. His right eye was bruised and almost swollen shut, while his right cheek ballooned out like he had a large plug of chewing tobacco wedged in his gum. A well-earned rest is the order of the day before a potential unification bout.
“You know currently three-quarters of the belts at 118-pounds are in Japanese hands, and if Takei beat Moloney, it would be a Japanese sweep,” explained Altamura. “We’ve heard whispers in that situation of a Japanese super tournament to crown an undisputed champion. But let’s see. Nishida fought such a beautiful, spirited battle and he deserves time to bask in the glory and replenish the tank.”
The golden era of Japanese boxing looks set to continue for some time to come.
