By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten Mexican southpaw Luis Nery (24-0, 18 KOs), 118, surprisingly captured the WBC bantamweight belt when he swarmed over previously unbeaten champ Shinsuke Yamanaka (27-1-2, 19 KOs), 118, battered him to the punch and halted him with the towel thrown in from his corner at 2:29 of the fourth round on Tuesday in Kyoto, Japan. Yamanaka, a southpaw upright stylist, failed to score his thirteenth defense, which would have tied the Japanese mark of Yoko Gushiken’s as many defenses registered 37 years ago.

More to come.