Saludar-Taniguchi: Full Report

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Filipino puncher Vic “Vicious” Saludar (19-3, 10 KOs), 105, kept his WBO minimumweight belt as he outboxed and outpunched Japanese southpaw Masataka Taniguchi (11-3, 7 KOs), 105, to win a unanimous decision over twelve sizzling rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.
Saludar Taniguchi07
The official tallies were as follows: Chris Tellez (US) and Surat Soikrachang (Thailand) both 117-111, and Luis Ruiz (Puerto Rico) 118-110, all for the cleverer champ. It was a close game—despite lopsided scores—with Taniguchi, with his tight guard, stalking the champ and Saludar occasionally countering with solid rights to the willing mixer. But the Filipino efficiently collected more points in close mix-ups with better precision.

Saludar, in his first visit here, suffered a come-from-behind knockout defeat at the hand of then WBO 105-pound champ Kosei Tanaka with a single body shot—though winning by 60-54 twice and 59-55 scores—in 2015, and our people still believe Saludar has his weakness at the breadbasket. Vic, last July, decked an important victory and wrested the WBO belt by dropping defending champ Ryuya Yamanaka to earn a unanimous verdict since the champ was too eager to come close to him and score with body shots. Then Saludar countered so well that he could bring home the bacon.

Also in this bout, Taniguchi was too anxious to weaken Saludar exclusively with his assault to the midsection, which was mostly averted by the champ’s shifty mobility and counters. The loser reviewed his defeat, saying, “I wanted to be a bit closer with him by a half step more (for body shots), but Saludar was elusive enough.”

Every round was competitive and close, but Saludar won nearly all rounds by a slight margin thanks to his ring savvy and experience.

It was Taniguchi, taller and more muscular, that maintained the pressure from the outset and attempted to mix it up, but he couldn’t do so until the seventh and eighth sessions, when the judges gave points to the Japanese challenger. From the ninth round onward, however, the initiative returned to Saludar, three years his senior at 28, who economically displayed his cleverness in waiting to counter him just after his missing punches.

Taniguchi, formerly an amateur boxer at Ryukoku university with a rather mediocre mark of 55-19, turned professional along with his tournament rival Hiroto Kyoguchi, already two-class world champ, belonging to the same Watanabe gym. He failed to win the national belt and the OPBF title, losing to Reiya Konishi and Tsubasa Koura respectively—each by a majority decision. Strong but void of decisive weapon, Taniguchi was unable to win the belt before he seized the WBO Asia Pacific 105-pound belt by beating previously unbeaten Filipino Joel Lino in Thailand last November. Please don’t ask why it took place in Bangkok, since it needs a long detailed explanation.

In the championship rounds Vic, one of five boxing brothers including world-rated Froilan and upcoming Jakeson, was in command with his hit-and-run tactics against the monotonously onrushing Japanese.

The victor and still champion Saludar jubilantly said, “I was convinced of my victory after the sixth session, though Taniguchi was game and strong. I diligently followed my fight plan and won this game.” Japan might be a good market for Vic in the future.

Undercard:

Very sensational small boy Ginjiro Shigeoka (2-0, 2 KOs), 105, needed only 95 seconds to drop Thailander Gerttipong Kumsahwat (3-2, 3 KOs), 104.5, three times and finish him in his second pro bout over six rounds. Highly expected as a future champ due to his very excellent amateur mark of 56-1, 17 stoppages (with only a setback inflicted by his elder brother due to his corner’s tossing in the towel to avert the family fight; actually unbeaten), Ginjiro was already introduced by The Ring Magazine as a bright prospect. Standing only 5’0”, the 19-year-old southpaw is fast, hard-punching, precise and elusive with his remarkable reflexes. Shigeoka is worth watching.

Promoter: Watanabe Promotions.
WBO supervisor: Leon Panoncillo (US).


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