Takuma Inoue outclasses Sho Ishida over 12, retains WBA bantamweight title
Takuma Inoue may never escape the shadow of his older brother, but he continues to develop into a complete boxer and top-class world titleholder, as evidenced by the second defense of his WBA bantamweight title against tough veteran Sho Ishida on the undercard of Naoya’s showdown with Luis Nery on Monday at the Tokyo Dome.
Shaky Start, Composed Finish
Inoue started the fight in disastrous fashion. Ishida, a former Japanese champion who has never been stopped, dropped him with a short right hook just 20 seconds into the opening round. The champion took a few moments to recover but was soon back on his feet and fighting back. He began to find his range and rhythm in the second round and started to outbox Ishida, using his superior speed and movement to land clean shots.
Dominant Performance
Inoue continued to dominate the fight in the following rounds, using his jab to keep Ishida at bay and landing hard right hands whenever he got close. Ishida was game and never stopped trying, but he was outclassed by the younger, faster, and more skilled Inoue. The champion’s accuracy and power were simply too much for Ishida, who was repeatedly caught with clean shots throughout the fight.
Unanimous Decision
In the end, Inoue won a unanimous decision with scores of 118-109 (twice) and 116-111. It was a clear victory for the champion, who showed that he is one of the best bantamweights in the world. He is now 18-0 with 14 knockouts, while Ishida falls to 29-10-2.
Post-Fight Comments
After the fight, Inoue said he was happy with his performance but admitted that he needs to work on his defense. “I’m still young and learning,” he said. “I know I made some mistakes tonight, but I’ll learn from them and come back stronger.”
Mehek