By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten baby-faced Japanese Ken Shiro (14-0, 8 KOs), 107.75, retained his WBC light-flyweight belt when he kept outjabbing ex-IBF ruler Milan Melindo (37-4, 13 KOs), 107.5, bloodied him with legal punches and finally halted him at 2:47 of the seventh round on Sunday in Yokohama, Japan. Ken, making his fourth defense, appeared beneath the season 2 of WBSS, and finely outclassed and outpunched the shorter Filipino veteran. The 26-year-old champ started displaying his favorite hit-and-run tactics with his constant jabs and shifty footwork, which definitely kept Melindo from coming close to him.

The Filipino, 30, had dispatched Akira Yaegashi in the very first round to impress our aficionados with his strength in the IBF title bout last year, but couldn’t show it against the artful dodger. Melindo scored with a big overhand right to the face of the champ in round two, taking a point. But it was the first and last round he could dominate in the lopsided affair. After the fourth, the open scoring system indicated all 39-37 in favor of the defending champ.

Shiro, from the fifth, accelerated his attack and whipped him with quick combinations, which opened a gash on the optic of Milando midway in round six. Turning loose n the next session, Ken caught up with the bloodied Filipino, whose bad cut was examined by the ring physician. He advised the referee Laurence Cole (US) to stop it to save the loser from further punishment then and there.

(More to come)