Akira Yaegashi, the former three-division titleholder, is retiring at 37, according to The Japan Times.
Akira Yaegashi, the former three-division titleholder, is retiring at 37, according to The Japan Times.
Yaegashi (28-7, 16 KOs) won major titles as a strawweight, junior flyweight and flyweight. He never fought outside of his native Japan in his 15-year career.
Hideyuki Ohashi, a former champion and founder of the gym at which Yaegashi has trained, reportedly told him, “You’ve done enough.” Yaegashi agreed.
“Although I haven’t ever felt the limits of my physical strength, I’m not able to continue as an active boxer all on my own,” Yaegashi said on a conference call.
The Yokohama resident won a strawweight title when he stopped Somporn Seeta in 10 rounds in October 2011. He lost it to Kazuto Ioka by a close unanimous decision in his next fight, which was a title-unification matchup.
Two fights later, in April 2013, he defeated Toshiyuki Igarashi by a unanimous decision to win a flyweight title. He lost that belt in his fourth defense against Roman Gonzalez, who stopped Yaegashi in nine rounds in September 2014.
Yaegashi then went down to junior flyweight, at which he easily outpointed Javier Mendoza to win a title in a third division in December 2015. He successfully defended twice before losing his belt to Milan Melindo by first-round knockout in May 2015.
In his final fight, he lost by ninth-round TKO against flyweight titleholder Moruti Mthalane in December.
Akira Yaegashi, the former three-division titleholder, is retiring at 37, according to The Japan Times.
Akira Yaegashi, the former three-division titleholder, is retiring at 37, according to The Japan Times.
Yaegashi (28-7, 16 KOs) won major titles as a strawweight, junior flyweight and flyweight. He never fought outside of his native Japan in his 15-year career.
Hideyuki Ohashi, a former champion and founder of the gym at which Yaegashi has trained, reportedly told him, “You’ve done enough.” Yaegashi agreed.
“Although I haven’t ever felt the limits of my physical strength, I’m not able to continue as an active boxer all on my own,” Yaegashi said on a conference call.
The Yokohama resident won a strawweight title when he stopped Somporn Seeta in 10 rounds in October 2011. He lost it to Kazuto Ioka by a close unanimous decision in his next fight, which was a title-unification matchup.
Two fights later, in April 2013, he defeated Toshiyuki Igarashi by a unanimous decision to win a flyweight title. He lost that belt in his fourth defense against Roman Gonzalez, who stopped Yaegashi in nine rounds in September 2014.
Yaegashi then went down to junior flyweight, at which he easily outpointed Javier Mendoza to win a title in a third division in December 2015. He successfully defended twice before losing his belt to Milan Melindo by first-round knockout in May 2015.
In his final fight, he lost by ninth-round TKO against flyweight titleholder Moruti Mthalane in December.
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create …
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.
In this installment of Who Wins?, our staffers’ give their takes on how Sor Rungvisai would do against Juan Francisco Estrada (in a third fight), Roman Gonzalez (also for the third time), Nayoa Inoue, Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka. We then tally Sor Rungvisai’s record in those fights and present our standings.
Sor Rungvisai, a huge puncher, was already an accomplished champion when he first outpointed and then stopped the great Roman Gonzalez in back-to-back fights in 2017, making him a major player among little fighters worldwide.
We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.
The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 15 Leo Santa Cruz.
So here goes: Sor Rungvisai vs. his five potential opponents.
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SOR RUNGVISAI (47-5-1, 41) VS. ESTRADA (40-3, 27 KOs)
Juan Francisco Estrada (left, against Victor Mendez) is 1-1 against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. John McCoy/Getty Images)
Rosenthal: A third fight between these two warriors is a no-brainer. Estrada rallied in the first fight to make it close but came up short. Sor Rungvisai, who inexplicably fought mostly from an orthodox stance, did the same in a losing cause in the rematch. Part III? Estrada, 29, has the more recent victory and momentum while Sor Rungvisai, 33, might have leveled off. Estrada by a close, but clear decision.
Frauenheim: Estrada lost a majority decision to Sor Rungvisai, then beat him by unanimous decision14 months later, both at 115. Estrada learned enough in the first fight to make the right adjustments. In the rematch, he figures to have learned even more. Estrada, unanimous decision.
Nam: Although Sor Rungivsai committed a grave tactical error in their rematch – the decision to go orthodox instead of his natural southpaw stance for more than three quarters of the bout – he ended up giving Estrada a run for his money the last few rounds. The third fight is closer if Sor Rungvisai relies on his natural instincts. Estrada will come out much the same, firing on all cylinders. But the Thai fighter has one of the better chins in the game and eventually he’ll wear out Estrada. Sor Rungvisai by close decision.
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SOR RUNGVISAI VS. GONZALEZ (49-2, 41 KOs)
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (right) seems to have Roman Gonzalez’s number. Jeff Gross / Getty Images
Rosenthal: Gonzalez’s victory over Kal Yafai was impressive but let’s not get carried away. Yafai isn’t Sor Rungvisai. And Gonzalez isn’t quite the fighter he was. Sor Rungvisai knocked Gonzalez out cold the last time they met. Gonzalez will probably make adjustments and could be more competitive but it still won’t end well for him. Sor Rungvisai by late KO.
Frauenheim: All of the momentum is with Sor Rungvisai. He scored a majority decision over Gonzalez in March, 2017. He knocked him out six months later in Carson, California. Gonzalez was at his best at flyweight. The physical Sor Rungvisai is stronger at junior bantamweight. Sor Rungvisai, late-round stoppage.
Nam: If Gonzalez can steer clear of getting waylaid by Sor Rungvisai’s right hook, he has a decent chance of notching a decision. That doesn’t seem likely, though, given Sor Rungvisai’s superiority in size, power and perhaps most of all his chin. If Gonazlez can’t hurt Sor Rungvisai, he will be hardpressed to hear the final bell. Morever, Gonzalez’s pressure-fighting style does should create plenty of openings for Sor Rungvisai. Sor Rungvisai by late stoppage.
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SOR RUNGVISAI VS. INOUE (19-0, 16 KOs)
Nonito Donaire (left) proved that Naoya Inoue is human. Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP via Getty Images
Rosenthal: Sor Rungvisai had one of the most impressive streaks in boxing in 2017 and 2018, stopping Roman Gonzalez twice and outpointing Juan Francisco Estrada in consecutive fights. He hasn’t done much since, beating two journeymen and then losing a decision to Estrada in their rematch. The ability and the power still lurk, though. If he could carry that power from 115 to 118, he’d have a chance against Inoue. In the end, though, Inoue’s szie and superior skill set wins the day. Inoue by clear decision.
Frauenheim: Other than his Fight of the Year battle with Nonito Donaire, Inoue’s toughest fight could be Sor Rungvisai. He’s strong. Physicality isn’t exactly a word, but Sor Rungvisai defines it. He could hurt Inoue, who has the skill to elude him. He’s athletic enough to move and smart enough to adjust, all enough for Inoue to win a split decision.
Nam: If Sor Rungvisai demonstrates that his cast iron chin can hold up at 118 pounds, he will give Inoue some trouble. He’ll push the pace and throw left hand haymakers as Inoue tries to maneuver around the ring and land his potshots. Without the skillset to match Inoue’s, Sor Rungvisai will end up taking a lot of punishment. Inoue by decision.
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SOR RUNGVISAI VS. IOKA (25-2, 14 KOs)
Kazuto Ioka has the all-around skills and heart to give Sor Rungvisai trouble. Bherouz Mehri / AFP via Getty Images
Rosenthal: Ioka is a well-schooled, fleet boxer-puncher who can compete with anyone at his weight. Sor Rungvisai is no exception. Ioka will do well early, sticking, moving, perhaps building up a lead on the cards. But the stronger Sor Rungvisai will wear him down and ultimately pull away to win a close decision.
Frauenheim: Ioka has power along with foot and hand speed. He’s resilient. He’s 2-0 since losing a debatable split decision to Donnie Nietes. But resilience might not be enough against Sor Rungvisai’s overall strength. Sor Rungvisai, late-round stoppage.
Nam: Ioka has been able to carve up mid-level fighters by working behind his jab and mixing in hard body shots. He’s a solid technician. Alas, that won’t be enough against the Sor Rungvisai, who is is bound to find a home for his hard left and rights. Sor Rungivisai by late stoppage.
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SOR RUNGVISAI VS. TANAKA (15-0, 9 KOs)
Japan’s Kosei Tanaka (left against Jonathan Gonzalez) is one of the most gifted young fighters in the world. Jiji Press / AFP via Getty Images
Rosenthal: Tanka, 24, has accomplished so much in a short time for a reason: He’s one of the most talented young fighters in the world. He has good fundamentals, a high boxing IQ and unusual dynamism. Sor Rungvisai has edges in experience and punching power but very often the more-gifted fighter emerges victorious. And that’s Tanaka, who wins by a close decision.
Frauenheim: Tanaka is an emerging star. He’s 24, nine years younger than Sor Rungvisai. He has nine KOs on his 15-0 resume. He faces a mandatory challenge for a 112-pound belt from Ioka. He has all of the momentum, enough leverage to keep a bout vs. Sor Rungvisai in Japan. Tanaka, unanimous decision.
Nam: Tanaka’s mobility and boxing ability is going to win him some of the early rounds, but the young Japanese titleholder propensity for trading will undo him in the end. Recall that Sho Kimura, a hardscrabble but unremarkable fighter, was able to land plenty of leather on Tanaka in their 2018 barnburner. Tanaka is going to be swallowing a lot of flush left hands. Sor Rungivsai by decision.
Kazuto Ioka earned a 12-round unanimous decision over Jeyvier Cintron, while Kosei Tanaka knocked out Wulan Tuolehazi inside three rounds.
A pair of Japanese titleholders successfully defended their belts Tuesday night in Tokyo.
Four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka dominated Puerto Rico’s Jeyvier Cintron in a junior bantamweight title bout to win by unanimous decision win at Ota-City General Gymnasium. On the undercard, Ioka’s countryman Kosei Tanaka retained his flyweight title by knockout.
Ioka’s was making the first defense of his WBO belt, which he took from Aston Palicte in June. Two judges scored it 116-112, while another had it 115-113, all in favor of Ioka, who has fought on New Year’s Eve every year – except 2017 – since 2011.
“I had hoped to demonstrate how strong a champion can be and how hard a world title fight can be,” an emotional Ioka said afterward.
He continued, “There was some pressure, because this was my first fight since my son was born.”
The southpaw Cintron (11-1, 5 knockouts) used his superior height and reach to keep Ioka at bay with his jab early in the fight. But Ioka (25-2, 14 KOs) soon turned it up a notch, getting on the inside and landing pinpoint body punches.
Ioka ramped up the pace in the mid-to-late rounds, including an onslaught of combinations to the body in Round 10. Cintron simply had no answer, although he was able to outbox Ioka in the final two rounds.
Earlier, Tanaka made short work of Chinese flyweight Wulan Tuolehazi, stopping him in three rounds. Tanaka was making the third defense of his WBO title, which he won last year.
Tanaka (15-0, 9 KOs) landed a double uppercut that sent Tuolehazi (13-4-1, 6 KOs) crashing to the canvas. Referee Jose Rivera waved the fight off at 2-29 of Round 3.
“I was able to land that uppercut after a feint to the body,” Tanaka said.
Roman Gonzalez is re-energized after his first fight in more than a year and confident he’ll be back in the hunt for a world title in 2020.
Roman Gonzalez arrived back in Nicaragua this week, re-energized after his first fight in more than a year and confident he’ll be back in the hunt for a world title in 2020.
Gonzalez, sidelined for 15 months with a knee injury, returned to the ring Monday in Japan, scoring a second-round stoppage of Diomel Diocos in a junior bantamweight fight in Yokohama.
The 32-year-old Gonzalez (47-2, 39 KOs), the lightest fighter to ever be ranked No. 1 in the pound-for-pound rankings, was welcomed back to Managua, his hometown, by fans and media. He said he hopes to fight again in February or March.
“Possible fighters I could face are Kazuto Ioka, Khalid Yafai and Juan Francisco Estrada,’’ he said. “But I want to be champion again and then unify titles with Estrada because good purses would come for such fights.”
At his training camp for Diocos, in Coachella, California, Gonzalez manager Carlos Blandon said the former junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight champ looked sharp.
“Roman is highly-motivated,’’ Blandon said. “His knee is back to normal or even better. Roman is eager is showcase that his knee is in great condition after surgery and that with God’s help he will be king once again. We understand it takes one step at a time, but he is more than ready.’’
