By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

WBO 115-pound champion Kazuto Ioka (29-2, 15 KOs), 115, made his fifth title defense when he decisively avenged his previous loss to Filipino veteran WBO#1 Donnie Nietes (43-2-6, 33 KOs), 114.5, by a unanimous decision over twelve speedy rounds on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. The judges lopsidedly favored Ioka: Gerardo Martinez (Puerto Rico) 118-110, William Lerch (US) 117-111 and Waleska Roldan (US) 120-108. The referee who handled the fast-moving contest very well was Bence Kovacs (Hungary).

It was such a tactical fight of both four-division titlists as a couple of Miguel Cantos kept outboxing and countering each other, but it was Ioka, 33, that displayed more aggressiveness in throwing combinations upstairs and downstairs all the way. Nietes, 40, showed only his cleverness in averting Ioka’s versatile combinations, and failed to retaliate with more effective punches in return.

The mandatory challenger and ex-champ Nietes had been undefeated for eighteen years since his sole setback in 2004 (amazing), including his hairline victory over Ioka by a split verdict in Macao on New Year’s Eve in 2018. Then, it was their first encounter in quest of the vacant WBO 115-pound championship. The skillful Filipino, however, renounced it to be inactive for two years and four months. Donnie then came back to fight twice in Dubai against Pablo Carrillo (W10) and Norbelto Jimenez (D10) last year.

From the outset Kazuo, making his fifth defense, positively threw jabs to take the initiative, while Donnie cautiously probed the champ’s mobility and strategy. The third and fourth saw Ioka release fast combinations to the face and the midsection, which Nietes averted with his tight guard and against which he attempted to counter with a solid overhand right at a time.

It must be a difficult puzzle for each to solve since they were both sharp counterpunchers. Every round was close, but it was Ioka that collected a point steadily as he was a little more aggressive with jabs, left-rights, body shots, etc. In such a monotonous processing Nietes, even without absorbing much punishment, kept losing a point with the difference of the volume of punches thrown in each round.

The eighth witnessed Nietes suffer a cut on the right eyebrow caused by Ioka’s legal shot, and the fading veteran also began to bleed from another laceration, also by a punch, over the left optic midway in round ten.

Nietes, in the ninth, scored a big right uppercut to the aggressor Ioka, who gamely retaliated with more punches in return. The Filipino visibly showed his fatigue in the last two rounds, when Ioka remained aggressive enough to keep throwing punches upstairs and downstairs.

“I was seeking revenge for my last loss to Nietes, and I did it,” said Ioka jubilantly. He also said, “I hear IBF counterpart Fernando Martinez will meet ex-champion Jerwin Ancajas in a direct rematch, and I wish to fight the winner in a unification bout.”

The crestfallen loser Nietes gloomily said, “It’s true the facial cuts considerably hurt me. I admit Ioka hit harder than in our first bout. I’d like to fight on if there’s a offer coming.” Donnie proved he was still a world-class technician based on his sound skills.

Ioka thus registered his twentieth victory in world title bouts. It is the most in Japanese boxing history and he was superior to Naoya Inoue’s eighteen wins. It may prove his excellence in speed and skills. It is amazing that Ioka was quite unbruised despite a hard fight as usual. He may be called “defense master.”

Promoter: Shisei Promotions in association with Probellum.

WBO supervisor: Leon Panoncillo.

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