By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
It was a Japan-China competition with Japan winning 4-2 over China in six bouts. But the level of Chinese boxers remarkably improved to impress the crowd on Thursday at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo. Formerly world-rated ex-OPBF champ Hironori Mishiro (13-1-1, 4 KOs), 134.5, withstood the opening attack of China’s previously unbeaten Yong-Chao Sheng (8-1-2, 5 KOs), 134.5, effectively retaliated with good jabs and right crosses and pounded out a unanimous decision (77-75, 78-74, 79-73) over eight scrappy rounds. Mishiro had tasted an upset technical decision loss to Min-Ho Jung in Korea this April, dropping out of the world ratings with his first setback. In his comeback go Mishiro, a tall stylish jabber, was forced to mix it up by the hard-punching Chinese. Mishiro, however, took back the initiative and kept outfighting the game but less skillful Cheng to overcome his early deficits on points. Continue reading “Mishiro defeats China’s Sheng”