Japan’s Uchiyama flattened as record hopes vanish
Japan’s Takashi Uchiyama suffered a shock defeat by Panama’s Jezreel Corrales on Wednesday, a brutal secondround knockout dashing his hopes of a 12th defence of his WBA super featherweight title.
The 36-year-old Uchiyama, considered Japan’s best pound-for-pound boxer in recent years, had never tasted defeat in his professional career -- until Corrales unleashed a violent flurry of punches to flatter the champion.
Uchiyama, who won the belt from Mexican Juan Carlos Salgado in 2010, had been looking to overhaul Yoko Gushiken’s Japanese record of 13 title defences between 1976 and 1981.
But the Nagasaki-born tough guy, dubbed “Knockout Dynamite” by Japanese fans and media, was sent crashing to the canvas three times in the second round by top-ranked challenger Corrales, who put Uchiyama out of his misery with a vicious left hook.
Corrales entered the ring with a skeleton mask and the fight quickly turned into a horror story for Uchiyama, who was caught flush on the chin by the southpaw early in the first round.
Corrales knocked Uchiyama down again with a left hook at the start of the second and with the Japanese star still wobbly on his knees, the challenger clinically finished him off.
“I didn’t see those punches coming,” said a stunned Uchiyama, who refused to comment on his future.
“I hadn’t even got warmed up. I tried to stay calm and fight back but then he caught me again. That’s what happens in this game.”
Corrales, 12 years Uchiyama’s junior at 24, improved his professional record to 20 wins against one loss. Uchiyama has a record of 24 wins -- 20 of them by KO -- against one defeat and one draw.
On the undercard, Ryoichi Taguchi defended his WBA light flyweight crown for a third time after battering Venezuela’s Juan Landaeta in the 11th round.
Super flyweight champion Kohei Kono followed suit by outpointing Thai challenger Inthanon Sithchamuang for his third title defence.