By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Fast-moving Puerto Rican southpaw Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (27-3-1-1NC, 14 KOs), 108, retained his WBO 108-pound belt as he kept moving to-and-fro all night, countered game Japanese challenger Shokichi Iwata (9-1, 6 KOs) and earned a unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112 twice) on Tuesday over twelve rounds in Saitama, Tokyo, Japan. Judges Pat Russell and Jesse Reyes (US) both tallied 116-112, and Danrex Tapdasan (Philippines) scored 117-111, all in favor of the defending champ. The referee was Raul Caiz Jr. (US).

Iwata fought well, but Bomba was too elusive for him to catch up with. The Japanese prospect kept stalking the constantly circling champ, who occasionally countered him and then quickly grabbed him to avert his retaliation. The contest followed such a pattern all the way. Bomba showed his improvement since his previous visit here when he failed to win the WBO flyweight belt from Kosei Tanaka via seventh round TKO defeat in Nagoya in 2019. Then Tanaka sank Bomba with body bombardments, which suggested that Bomba has a weakness in the midsection. Iwata, this time, also aimed at his vulnerable spot, the body, but Bomba coped with the hard-hitting challenger with a counter-and-grab tactics.

Iwata sometimes pinned the champ to the ropes or the corner and dug a strong body shot to the belly, but Bomba cleverly dealt with the challenger’s attack with his superior experience by utilizing his footwork and his repeated clinches. It was Bomba that collected more points in hairline rounds. We just wonder how many times Bomba circled the ring during the monotonous twelve rounds, or thirty-six minutes.

Iwata, a talented hard-puncher, had shared wins with Takuma Inoue, the younger brother of Monster Naoya Inoue, when they were amateur boxers. Shokichi, five years Bomba’s junior at 26, may have another opportunity to have an ambitious world title shot in the near future, but he will have to learn more to become a champion. Bomba, if you should extend your stay here for two more weeks, there will be a world famous Fukuoka International Marathon Race, in which Bomba may make an entry to demonstrate his foot power again.

Teiken Promotions.

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