On December 31st, 2013, unbeaten Takashi Uchiyama survived a 10th round meeting with the canvas, courtesy of Daiki Kaneko, to defend his WBA Junior Lightweight title. All three ringside judges in Tokyo unanimously scored the contest 117-110.
Prior to the bout, though it didn’t carry global crossover clout, the encounter was particularly appealing to Japanese natives who were relishing the domestic dustup. This was the young lion, Kaneko (19-3-3, 12 KO), versus the aging-yet-dangerous veteran, Uchiyama (21-0-1, 17 KO).
There was little between the two men for the first few rounds, but it was clear Uchiyama was landing the cleaner, more telling shots. Experience was proving King. But during the 4th round, the champion found himself momentarily shaken after taking a heavy shot from Kaneko, a young man who’s power was no hype job.
Kaneko’s natural strength paid dividends throughout the 5th, as he was able to absorb a number of Uchiyama’s accurately shots. Kaneko returned to his corner bloody-nosed but entered the 6th undeterred. He kept coming forward until his foe had no choice but to rely on his movement and jab.
In the 8th Kaneko upped the pace, not dominating the round, but certainly pushing the champion into deeper waters, forcing him to start meeting fire with fire. Not content with the level of pressure already administered, Kaneko then looked for a fight-ending blow in the 9th.
But the older man had seen it all before. Comfortably leading on the scorecards, he stayed clear of a tear up, distancing himself from the danger zone by boxing. This decision only enticed Kaneko to come forward more, however, and in the closing seconds of the 10th he landed a solid straight that knocked down Uchiyama.
Unable to close the show, Kaneko entered the 11th looking to finish what he had started. But the round was to be tougher than expected; Uchiyama had recovered quickly from the knockdown and was also looking for the knockout. Bombs flew as both men traded toe-to-toe, but Uchiyama’s tidier work shone through. Blood arrived at Yaneko’s nose once again.
Behind on points, Kaneko of course had to push even harder for the knockout if he were to capture the fleeting victory. He charged forward, trying to cut off the ring. But his aggression was neutralized by Uchiyama’s effective footwork and sharp counters. Uchiyama pressed his attack in the closing seconds of the contest, unleashing a flurry of shots which buckled the knees of Kaneko. This was the exclamation point to end a tough-yet-smartly fought fight.
Uchiyama’s win proved he’s still a fierce, adaptable fighter at 130lbs, and still has the skill and heart to perform on big occasions. Kaneko has suffered a setback, sure, but shouldn’t fear his stock dropping just yet. Natural strength and steely grit aren’t usually forgotten easily, least by promoters. He will likely find himself involved in another big show in the near future, which will lead onto another world title shot.
Chief support from the undercard saw Takashi Miura successfully defend his WBC Junior Featherweight title after scoring a 10th round TKO over Dante Jordan.
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