By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda (to come soon)
Unbeaten South African Phumelele Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs), 114.75, astoundingly upset defending champ and four-division champ Kosei Tanaka (20-2, 11 KOs), 115, to win the WBO junior bantamweight belt by a split decision over twelve hard-fought rounds on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. Phil Austin (Australia) and Waleska Roldan (US) both tallied 114-113 in favor of Cafu, while Jesse Reyes (US) saw it 113-114 for Tanaka. Female referee was Sparkle Lee, who finely handled the very fast-moving speedsters.
It was truly a see-saw closest affair, but it was Cafu that scored the sole knockdown of the fight in round five, when the challenger beautifully countered the champ with a well-timed right when Tanaka threw a big right uppercut. The champ fell down forward and barely beat the count, but it was a damaging blow that made Tanaka pay his respect and caution to Cafu’s attack thereafter.
They exchanged hot rallies in the close range with Tanaka forcing the action and Cafu occasionally countering him effectively. The twelfth and final round saw Tanaka finally catch up with him into a great trouble, but Cafu was saved by the final bell. It was truly an entertaining give-and-take fight.
Promoter: Teiken Promotions.
Tanaka is flawed, he makes a lot of mistakes, but I was still pretty surprised by this one. Fight could have gone either way for me, but full credit to Cafu.
What did I say about officiating against their own in Japan?
Every close fight in Japan goes against their own fighters
114-113 Tanaka questionable. If each won six rounds would be 114. Where did the extra point come when he was the one who didn’t have the knockdown?