Treasure Boxing Promotion (TBP) said on May 9 the International Boxing Federation’s 10th-ranked flyweight Vince Paras of the Philippines entered South Korea on the same day in preparation for his fight with former two-weight world champion Hiroto Kyoguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym in Incheon on May 11.
Paras (L) in Incheon with TBP head Masayuki Ito (C)
The scheduled 10-rounder will be held at Paradise City Grand Ball Room. It will be their second encounter as the 25-year-old Paras dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to then IBF minimumweight champion Kyoguchi in May 2018 in Tokyo. Kyoguchi, 30, is currently ranked second in the flyweight division by the World Boxing Association and fourth by the IBF.
Kyoguchi has a record of 18 wins, including 12 knockouts, against a loss. For his part, Paras has a 20-2-1 win-loss-draw tally with 15 KOs.
Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation middleweight champion Kazuto Takesako of World Sports Boxing Gym’s first defense of the title against fifth-ranked Tej Pratap Singh of Australia will be held as the chief supporting card.
The 32-year-old Takesako has 16 wins, including 15 KOs, against a loss and a draw, while the left-handed Pratap, 37, has an 18-7-3 win-loss-draw tally with eight KOs.
Former World Boxing Organization minimumweight champion Masataka Taniguchi of Watanabe gym will square off with Jaysever Abcede of the Philippines in a scheduled eight-rounder.
Taniguchi, 30, has a record of 17 wins, 11 by KO, against four defeats, while the left-handed Abcede, 29, has a 22-13 win-loss record with 13 KOs. Abcede, a former world-ranked boxer, stopped Seigo ‘’Yuri’’ Akui of Kurashiki Moriyasu Boxing Gym, the current WBA flyweight champion, in the final round in a scheduled eight-round flyweight nontitle bout in October 2018 in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan.
Former two-weight world champion Hiroto Kyoguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to the International Boxing Federation’s 10th-ranked flyweight Vince Paras of the Philippines in a flyweight nontitle fight in Incheon, northwestern South Korea, on May 11.
Kyoguchi (R) loses
While there were no knockdowns in the fight held at Paradise City Grand Ball Room, the 30-year-old Kyoguchi, who won a lopsided decision over the 25-year-old Paras six years ago, lost by 2 to 4 points on judges’ scorecards, although it appeared Kyoguchi was ahead on points.
With the loss, Kyoguchi, ranked second in the flyweight division by the World Boxing Association, now has a record of 18 wins, including 12 knockouts, against two losses. For his part, Paras improved his record to 21 wins, 15 by knockout, against two losses and a draw.
Takesako (R) loses bout
Meanwhile, Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation middleweight champion Kazuto Takesako of World Sports Boxing Gym failed in his first defense of the title he won last October as he suffered a 12-round split decision loss to fifth-ranked Tej Pratap Singh of Australia as the chief supporting card of the event.
While one of the three judges scored the fight for Takesako by 2 points, the other two saw Singh ahead by 4 points, respectively. There were no knockdowns in the fight.
The left-handed Singh piled up points with his aggressive boxing during the early and middle part of the fight. Though Takesako pressed forward from around the ninth round, he failed to land decisive blows.
It was the 32-year-old Takesako’s second defeat in his career and now has a record of 16 wins, including 15 KOs, against two losses and a draw, while the left-handed Pratap, 37, now has a 19-7-3 win-loss-draw tally with eight KOs.
Taniguchi comes out winner
In the light-flyweight eight-rounder, former World Boxing Organization minimumweight champion Masataka Taniguchi of Watanabe gym stopped Jaysever Abcede of the Philippines in the fifth round for his second straight victory since losing his title to Melvin Jerusalem of the Philippines in January last year.
The left-handed Taniguchi floored Abcede with a straight left after working his body in the round. While Abcede, also a southpaw, struggled to his feet, Taniguchi decked him again quickly, prompting the referee to stop the fight 1 minute and 14 seconds into the round.
With the victory, Taniguchi, 30, now has a record of 18 wins, 12 by KO, against four defeats, while Abcede, 29, fell to a 22-14 win-loss tally with 13 KOs.
The day’s event was promoted by Treasure Boxing Promotion (TBP) led by former World Boxing Organization super featherweight champion Masayuki Ito.
陣営と涙を流してうれしさを表したロマチェンコ(36)は18勝12KO3敗。試合中、WBAライト級王者ジェルボンテ・デービス(米)がSNSで勝利を見越して「次はアンタと対戦したい」と発信。またプロモーターのトップランクは来週WBOライト級王座決定戦に出場する3階級制覇王者エマヌエル・ナバレッテ(メキシコ)との対決もオプションに考慮している。世界戦3連敗のカンボソス(30)は21勝10KO3敗。Photos by SUMIO YAMADA
同じリングで吉田実代(三迫)がIBF王座に君臨する女子世界バンタム級のWBAチャンピオン、ニナ・ヒューズ(英)がチェルニカ・ジョンソン(豪州)と防衛戦。序盤、小柄なヒューズが右を叩きつけてリード。しかし、パンチの正確さで勝ったジョンソンがペースを引きつける。そのままスパートして挑戦者が勝利をつかんだかに見えたが、スコアは95-95、96-94、98-92で最初ヒューズの手が上がった。ところがリングアナの読み間違いで、同じスコアでジョンソンの2-0勝利と訂正された。Photos by SUMIO YAMADA
リングアナウンサーを務めたダニエル・ヘネシー氏はSNSで「すべての責任は私にあります。ジャッジにも、統括団体にも責任はありません。私です。すべての関係者、ファンに謝ります」と平謝り。「起きてしまったことを申し訳なく思いますが、次回はよりよくなるよう努めることしかできません。返す返す申し訳ありませんでした」と書き記した。Photos by SUMIO YAMADA