By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda
ormer WBC flyweight titlist, hard-punching Daigo Higa (18-2-1, 17 KOs), 118, very barely eked out a split decision (76-75, 76-74, 74-77 against him) over ex-world challenger, Filipino Froilan Saludar (32-6-1, 22 KOs), 117.25, over give-and-take eight on the Ioka-Nietes undercard on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan.
The fourth witnessed Saludar explode a very vicious right hook that penetrated Higa’s chin and badly dropped him to the canvas. People then thought Higa, flat on the deck, might not be able to stand up and resume fighting, but he barely did. Higa, who forfeited his WBC belt on the scale in his title defense against Cristofer Rosales and was badly stopped by him in 2018, moved up to the bantam category, and acquired the WBO AP belt, but lost it to Ryosuke Nishida via upset decision in April last year. In his comebacking fight, Higa experienced a very tough time with the more skillful Filipino who gamely withstood the ex-champ’s desperate retaliation down the stretch.
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When in the article they say that a fighter barely ecked out a split decision victory it often means that this fighter in question did lose the fight !
Higa is interesting. He started his career 16- 0 w 16 KO. Including world title.
He’s 2-2-1 with 1 ko since. He was begini g to make some serious waves but his confidence has been destroyed and the Japanese take ot very seriously when a fighter-a world champion no less- misses weight. Wh we n Higa lost his title on the scale it wS considersx very shameful.