By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
Unbeaten OPBF 105-pound champ, WBC#11/WBA#12/IBF#13 Tsubasa Koura (12-0, 8 KOs), 104.5, barely kept his regional belt as he had a tough time coping with game and gallant compatriot Masataka Taniguchi (8-2, 6 KOs), 105, but showed a last surge to earn a hairline majority verdict (115-114, 115-113, 114-114) over twelve see-saw rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.
It was such a close affair that they mixed it up with solid shots each other. After the fourth, the champ Koue was leading on points—39-38, 39-37, 38-38. After the eighth, however, Taniguchi overcame his early deficits on points and was slightly ahead 77-76 for him, 76-76 twice. It became a four-round fight with Koura scoring with a little more accurate shots to be awarded a very close decision. Continue reading “Koura squeaks by Taniguchi to keep OPBF 105lb belt”