Uchiyama defends WBA super-featherweight title

TOKYO: Japan’s Takashi Uchiyama pulled off a technical knockout victory over Bryan Vasquez of Costa Rica to win a unification bout in the World Boxing Association (WBA) super-featherweight title yesterday.
Uchiyama piled up the points by pummeling Vasquez with lefts and rights to the stomach, and finished off the fight three minutes into the eighth round, unloading punch after punch.
“My opponent had never lost a match before and never suffered a knock down, so I really wanted to win the match in a good style,” said Uchiyama, 33.
“This champion’s belt is just a formality. My top priority is to become stronger,” he added.
It was Uchiyama’s sixth defense of the title, which he wrested from Juan Carlos Salgado of Mexico in January 2010, maintaining his unbeaten record at 19 wins, including 16 KOs and one draw.
The 25-year-old Vasquez now has 29 wins, including 15 KOs and one defeat.
Japan’s Kazuto Ioka overwhelmed Jose Rodriguez of Mexico by a technical knockout victory in the sixth round to take the WBA light-flyweight title.
Ioka, former WBC straw weight and WBA minimum weight champion, knocked down Rodriguez in the first round with a left hook to the body.
He sent him to the floor twice more in the sixth round, with the referee stopping the fight at two minutes 50 seconds, after the second knock down.
With his victory, 23-year-old Ioka, who is ranked second in the WBA, became the fastest Japanese boxer to win two world titles in different categories, stretching his unbeaten record to 11 wins, including seven KOs.
“I don’t feel that I really did it, but I’m very happy that I did,” said Ioka.
“I want to prove that hard work will make your dream come true,” he added.
Rodriguez, also 23 and ranked fifth, now has 28 wins, including 17 KOs and two defeats.
Japan’s Ryo Miyazaki pounded out a split decision victory over Pornsawan Porpramook of Thailand to win the vacant WBA minimum weight title.
Two judges scored the bout 116-112 and 116-111 in favor of Miyazaki, while the third marked it 114-113 for Pornsawan.
Miyazaki, 24, who is ranked WBA minimum weight No.2, improved his record to 18 wins, including 10 KOs and three draws, while Pornsawan, ranked fourth, has now 27 wins, including 17 KOs, against five defeats and a draw.
“It’s been my dream to become the world champion since I started boxing. I’m really happy that I made it. My fans cheered me up and I thought I shouldn’t give up. I’m determined to be stronger,” said Miyazaki.
Pornsawan said: “I thought I won, so I was dissatisfied with the result. Miyazaki was not so strong. My punch to the stomach was ruled as a low blow. I don’t think the referee was fair.”
Yota Sato defeated fellow Japanese boxer Ryo Akaho by a unanimous decision victory to defend the WBC super-flyweight title.
Three judges scored it 117-111, 117-112 and 118-110, all in favor of the defending champion.