Joe Koizumi
Feature Writer

Niida keeps WBA 105lb belt!

March 1, 2008

By Joe Koizumi

WBA minimum champ Yutaka Niida (23-1-3, 9 KOs), 105, impressively kept his belt as he dropped Venezuelan challenger Jose Luis Varela (15-4-1NC), 104.75, with a looping left hook in the third, took the initiative and finally decked him in agony with vicious body bombardments for the count at 2:16 of the sixth round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Niida, 29, made his seventh defense to his credit by showing the best performance in his career.

For Niida, it was a perfect game. He looked sharp, quick and hard-hitting enough to impress the audience. The 5’2” champ, notorious for his caprice and previous fluctuating performances, was aggressive from the first round, stalking the Venezuelan footworker and landing a solid double punch (left hooks to the belly and the face) with precision. Niida positively accelerated his attack in the second as he made good use of his powerful left hand to hurt the challenger, who kept circling to avert his opening attack.

Midway in the third, Niida caught the 5’1” challenger with a well-timed long left hook, dropping him on the seat of his trunks. As Varela, also 29, managed to raise himself, Niida turned loose with a flurry of punches to go for a kill. It was only Varela’s determination and durability that barely enabled him to withstand the champ’s onslaught.

Niida was in command in round four, when he landed a smashing left hook-right hook combination to have him staggering, and displayed solid and accurate jabs to the face. Varela kept retreating and circling, though he occasionally tried to retaliate with quick combos, which were mostly averted by the champ’s quick body movements.

Niida, in the fifth, cleverly had Varela punching out, as he maintained the pressure and came close to him without throwing many punches. Niida’s superb reflexes smartly averted Varela’s desperate retaliations.

A trick happened in the fatal sixth, when Niida became aggressive again and dug a wicked left uppercut to the side of the belly. Varela winced and promptly grabbed the champ to keep him from throwing more body shots. Niida realized Varela was hurt then and there, and swarmed over him with solid combinations downstairs while pinning him to the ropes. Niida’s wicked body shots sank Varela in agony, and he was unable to beat the referee Raul Caiz’s fatal ten. The loser was miserably prone on the canvas for minutes.

Before the beautiful knockout happened, the officials had tallied as follows: Ted Gimza (US) 50-44, Derek Milham (Australia) and Wansoo Yuh (Korea) both 49-45, all for Niida.

The jubilant winner Niida said, “I’m happy to be able to respond to people’s expectations. I know my real power has increased through six defenses, and I wished to show it to the crowd. If the mandatory defense with unbeaten Roman Gonzalez is decided, I welcome it and am confident to beat him.” The crestfallen loser, ex-Olympian, reflected Niida’s painful body shot, saying, “It really hurt me. I couldn’t endure it when Niida battered my body.”

The February issue of The Ring Magazine listed up Niida as one of those criticized in the column titled “Who Needs Punching Power?” Believe it or not, Niida is a very hard-punching champ, though he had unfortunately failed to reveal his power punching in his previous defenses. Before his coronation Niida had displayed impressive KO victories over Makoto Suzuki (TKO9), Sony Boy Panding (KO1), Rudolfo Fernandez (KO2), etc. His current credentials of 23-1-1, only 9 KOs don’t reflect his potential power. Niida always complained of the 8-ounce gloves, which he claimed too big to score knockouts. It seems contradictory that the current rules and regulations force 147-pounders (like Miguel Cotto) and 105-pounders (like Niida) to fight with the same 8-ounce gloves. Should minimumweight boys be allowed to fight with the 6-ounce gloves, Niida will certainly register more knockouts in the future.

Thanks to his finest performance, Niida won the praise of not only the crowd but Fighting Harada, a commentator at the ringside. What more do we want from Niida tonight?

Promoter: Teiken Promotions in association with Yokohama Hikari Promotions.