By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
In Japan, a failure to make weight is a crime to be severely criticized and punished logically and morally. Therefore, our boxers endeavor to make weight to have this sports fair and square. So, Luis Nery had been suspended indefinitely by the JBC though lately revoked to materialize his WBC mandatory shot at “Monster” Naoya Inoue as ordered by the WBC. Under our strict circumstances undefeated highly expected prospect WBC#8, WBA#10 featherweight Hayato Tsutsumi shamefully failed to make weight by no less than three and a half pounds against ex-WBA bantam ruler Anselmo Moreno in a 126-pound contracted bout in Tokyo, Japan.
Tsutsumi (5-0, 2 KOs), 129.5, displayed his superior physical power and finished currently WBA#9 Panamanian Moreno (43-7-1, 15 KOs), 125.25, at 2:45 of the third round in a scheduled ten on Wednesday. The audience jeered his overweight scandal rather than praised his victory after he dropped the 38-year-old soldier twice and for the full count.
Hayato, fourteen years his junior at 24, had been regarded as “Next Monster” to follow Inoue’s footsteps, but his reputation fell to the ground since he previously cancelled an important bout with then WBA#15 feather Luis Moncion Ventura reportedly because of fever last October (though they eventually faced with Tsutsumi emerging victorious on the last New Year’s eve).
The fast-handed Hayato might be such a genius as to be compared with Monster Inoue. Having compiled an excellent amateur mark of 88-6, 26 stoppages, Tsutsumi won thirteen amateur national championships including the national bantam title with adult contestants when he was just a high school student in 2017. After his entry into the paid ranks, he so quickly acquired the vacant OPBF feather belt in his only third bout to prove his highly touted talent and made the record in May last year.
Just after the victory Hayato wholeheartedly apologized to Moreno as well as the audience, saying, “I’ve tarnished the name of boxing, and truly feel sorry to Moreno. I’ll seriously reflect on my mistake.” Despite our home-towner’s win people were disgusted at Tsutsumi’s violation of the contract weight (126 pounds) and unfairness therein. He will be duly suspended for at least six months by the JBC. But Hayato will come back, we hope so.
Promoter: Shisei Promotions.
BoxRec: Hayato Tsutsumi
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It will be interesting to know if JBC is going to sanction Hayato?
Honestly, I don’t think much will happen.
I believe Nery was overweight by 5 lbs. in his fight with Yamanaka, and he was suspended indefinitely, now rescinded to allow the fight with Inoue.
Nery was 3 pounds over weight. Hayato was 3 1/2 pounds overweight.
The Nery punishment was overblown and it seemed it was more the JBC being upset that their guy ended up on the losing end.
I think intentionally coming in over weight is terrible and should be punished if proven. But they seem to be going a little over board with this. Cutting weight is hard and sometimes your body just can’t do it. It sucks but it happens. I don’t think telling a fighter they should be ashamed and all this extra stuff actually helps the problem.
Nery missed weight for the second Yamanaka fight. Prior to the first, he tested positive for a banned substance. Given that, I think he received a fair punishment.
In Japan, boxing authorities take the issue of missing weight at the same level of PED’s, and a severe sanctioning is the consequence; is so serious and shameful that a few days ago a young boxer took his own life under similar circumstances. Is not like around here that with money everything is solved.
They take it very seriously. I think Daigo Higa also received an indefinite suspension when he missed weight and he was out nearly two years.
And that has to suck for Moreno: Go all the way to Japan from Panama for a world rated fight like that and you’re already fighting someone so much younger than you and they can’t even make weight. Whatever hope he had for a title shot late in his career is surely gone now.
Besides what you mentioned, Moreno hasn’t fought any quality opponents in his recent fights
Second violation. I hope the reader understands that Joe is holding back from wanting to say something even harsher to him.
Never could figure it out. A fighter with all of the physical and 99% of the mental side refuse to make weight. Mental block looking for what.
Except in extreme A side v B/C side cases I don’t think it is ever a case of refusing to make the weight.
These boxers are going through extreme rapid weight crashing to a weight they are never close to otherwise for maybe 30 minutes. It’s impossible to know if the body will allow it each time.
Rather than a long ban if boxers are more than a lb overweight they should be banned from that weight class and forced to move up.
It’s ridiculous that we have to watch boxers compete after both have weakened themselves by dropping to an unnaturally low weight. I want to see them at their healthy weight to put in the best performances.