By Derek Bonnett: The 2012 boxing calendar ended with some great action and 2013 got underway with more of the same. As the clock tolled down on the New Year, a shocking upset took place at super flyweight. Two reigning champions put in impressive title defenses among the lighter weight classes. Also, a former world champion moved up in weight to capture his third world title in just eleven pro bouts! All this and more as boxing littlest practitioners kept busy this holiday season and remained On the Move.
On Monday, December 31, at Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan, Takashi Uchiyama stopped Bryan Vasquez in eight rounds of a WBA super featherweight title bout. The time of the stoppage came at 3:00 of round eight. Vazquez never hit the canvas, but was overwhelmed by the champion’s attack. Uchiyama defended his title for the sixth time and raised his record to 19-0-1 (16). Vazquez fell to 29-1 (15).
Uchiyama upheld his number one ranking at SecondsOut among the world’s best super featherweights. Vazquez entered the SecondsOut rankings for his credible showing in defeat. Diego Magdaleno exited to make room, but could return quite shortly.
Also on the card, Yota Sato won a unanimous decision over Ryo Akaho in a twelve round WBC super flyweight title bout. The three cards favored the champion 118-110, 117-111, and 117-112. Sato made the second defense of his belt and lifted his resume to 26-2-1 (12). Akaho fell to 19-1-2 (12).
Sato claimed the number one spot among SecondsOut’s top class 115-pounders.
Also on the card, Tepparith Singwancha suffered a surprise fourth round KO loss to Kohei Kono in a WBA super flyweight title bout. Kono dropped Singwancha three times in the fourth round. The end came at the 2:08 mark. Kono captured his first world title in his third crack at a super flyweight title. His dossier now stands at 28-7 (11). Singwancha fell to 21-3 (13).
Kono crashed the SecondsOut super flyweight rankings by taking the fourth spot. Singwancha fell from first to sixth. Sato, Omar Narvaez, and Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. each climbed one spot. Denkaosan Kaovichit exited to make room.
Also on this date, at Bodymaker Colosseum, Osaka, Osaka, Japan, Kazuto Ioka stopped Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in six rounds for the vacant WBA junior flyweight title bout. Rodriguez hit the canvas in the first round and twice more in the sixth before the bout was halted at the 2:50 mark. Ioka claimed his third world title belt in his second division. His record improved to 11-0 (7). Rodriguez dipped to 28-2 (17).
Ioka moved from sixth to fifth among SecondsOut’s top 108-pound fighters.
On Saturday, January 5, at Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan: Akira Yaegashi stopped Saenmuangloei Kokietgym in nine rounds of a flyweight bout. The end came at 2:52 of the round. Yaegashi won for the first time since losing a narrow decision to Kazuto Ioka in a 2012 FOTY contender. His resume advanced to 16-3 (9). Kokietgym fell to 15-5-3 (3).
