By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

More experienced Japanese champ Kazuto Ioka (25-2, 14 KOs), 115, barely kept his belt by eking out a close but unanimous verdict over previously unbeaten top contender Jeyvier Cintron (11-1-1NC), 114.75, over twelve Tom-and-Jerry rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The official tallies were as follows: Wes Melton (US) and Philip Austin (Australia) both 116-112, and Julio Cesar Alvarado (Panama) 115-113, all in favor of the defending champ.

In earlier rounds the much taller Cintron made good use of his reach and swift footwork, outpunching Ioka with precision. But Ioka, six years his senior, accelerated his attack in later rounds, aiming at the breadbasket that sometimes looked very effective. Sensing it was so close, Jeyvier became aggressive in the final session, but his last surge wasn’t enough to dethrone the four-division champion. The referee was Tony Weeks (US).

The lanky Puerto Rican swept the first four rounds by utilizing his fast footwork and southpaw stance in which he accurately threw long and sharp—if not strong–straight lefts and left uppercuts. It then looked a very tough contest for Ioka, some two inches shorter and five inches inferior in reach, to cope with the fleet-footed ex-Olympian. But it was Ioka that changed his strategy–in round five–into more willing infighting, which eventually looked successful.

Reviewing the scoresheet, the judges mostly gave points to the willing mixer Ioka in the fifth through the twelfth. A very good example was the tallies of Aussie Philip Austin, who scored all the first four rounds to Cintron and the last eight sessions exclusively to Ioka. The other judges also followed this inclination although the audience saw it closer than the officials viewed.

Ioka said, “I usually wish to win intelligently, but sometimes I must roughly do infighting to win. I have to win to earn my family’s livelihood.” Asked about a possibility of facing Kosei Tanaka with his WBO belt at stake, “Tanaka will have to show his qualification in this 115-pound category. I prefer fighting for unification with other organizations’ champions.”

Ioka decked sixteen victories in world title bouts, which surpassed the previous mark of Yoko Gushiken’s fourteen here in Japan. We admit Ioka is a very skillful speedster with fine reflexes who usually hits without getting hit.

The loser Cintron who tasted his first setback as a professional said, “Ioka’s punches were all accurate and effective. I lost, but this defeat is a good lesson for my future.” Jeyvier is such a talented speedster that he may become a champion in the near future. The very last 2019 title bout held in Japan was such a highly technical contest.

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