By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
Unbeaten South African Phumelele Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs), 114.75, astoundingly upset defending champ and prefight favorite 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 close 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 missed a big right uppercut. The champ fell down forward and managed to beat the count, but it was a mentally and physically damaging blow that made Tanaka pay his respect and attention to Cafu’s attack thereafter.
They exchanged hot rallies in the close range with Tanaka forcing the action and Cafu occasionally countering him effectively. Reviewing the scoresheet it was Tanaka that swept the seventh to tenth rounds (for the tallies of Reyes and Roldan), while Austin shared the four rounds by scoring each two points to each contestant.
The twelfth and final round saw Tanaka almost catch 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.
WBO supervisor: Leon Panoncillo (US).
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