TOKYO, 4 May 2007 — Venezuela’s Alexander Munoz pummelled Japanese holder Nobuo Nashiro to regain the WBA super flyweight title by a unanimous points decision yesterday.
The hard-hitting Munoz lived up to his nickname of “El Explosivo” with all three judges giving him the fight by a wide margin in Tokyo.
Munoz won the same title in March 2002 and his clinical victory over Nashiro was the 30th of his professional career — 27 of them by knockout — against two losses.
“I hit him with a good combination in the sixth round and that was when I knew I’d win the fight,” the 28-year-old Munoz told reporters.
“Nashiro made it difficult for me and I couldn’t knock him out but I never thought I would lose. I’m going to keep the belt for a long time.” Nashiro won the title last July and made one successful defense against Mexico’s Eduardo Garcia in December before being outclassed by Munoz.
Meanwhile, Japanese challenger Nobuhito Honmo failed to unduly trouble Venezuela’s WBA super featherweight champion Edwin Valero.
Valero won by technical knockout in the ninth round with blood pouring from a cut under Honmo’s eye to stretch his record to a perfect 22 wins from 22 fights. Hozumi Hasegawa restored some Japanese pride in the third fight of a triple-header in Tokyo by successfully defending his WBC bantamweight title for the fourth time.
Hasegawa won a unanimous verdict over South Africa’s Simpiwe Vetyeka to improve his record to 22 wins against two defeats.
“A win’s a win but I don’t think I put on a great show for the fans,” said the champion. “I was probably being too cautious and wasn’t as aggressive as I should be.”
