Iwabuchi, Serie victorious in Japan

By Joe Koizumi

In an encounter of southpaws, top contender Shinya Iwabuchi (18-3, 15 KOs), 140, captured the national super-light belt as he finally caught elusive defending champ Yuji Wauke (15-4, 7 KOs), 140, with a solid left-right combination and finished him at 1:34 of the seventh round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. The OPBF top ranked Wauke utilized his advantageous height and reach and attempted to outpunch the hard-hitting but lazy challenger in the first six rounds. Iwabuchi, however, turned loose in round seven, when he connected with solid lefts followed by a vicious southpaw right, which decked the champ prone and had him for the count. It was a dramatic coronation of the 26-yer-old hard-hitting southpaw, who had better learn to throw punches more smoothly.

In the main event WBC#10/WBA#11 Masaaki Serie (21-3, 9 KOs), 121.5, kept his national 122-pound throne, as he showed his unorthodox style to confuse and frustrate top contender Yasutaka Ishimoto (19-6, 3 KOs), 122, and pounded out a close but unanimous nod (96-95, 97-95 and 97-93) over ten. Serie, making his sixth defense, displayed his awkward attack to catch the orthodox but monotonous challenger.

Unbeaten super-fly sensation, WBC#21 ex-amateur prospect Yohei Tobe (4-0, 2 KOs), 14.75, kept throwing faster combinations to shorter Filipino Ryan Bito (21-9-3, 7 KOs), 114, ex-WBC international flyweight ruler, winning a unanimous verdict (80-73, 79-74 and 79-75) over eight.

Promoter: B-Tight Promotion.

February 14th, 2012

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