Top Rank on ESPN: Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Esteban Nery Hernández & Masago Akui vs. Taku Kuwahara II RBR

Kuwahara:1,5
Akui: 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,

I guess Kuwahara has kind of done better than last time given that he was stopped that round - but it sure doesn't feel like it. I am sad about what has happened in the second half of this fight for all that i'm also enormously impressed by Kuwahara's heart.

 

Round 1 Kuwahara 10-9, close
Round 2 Akui 10-9
Round 3 Akui 10-9
Round 4 Akui 10-9
Round 5 Akui 10-9, close
Round 6 Akui 10-9
Round 7 Akui 10-9
Round 8 Akui 10-9
Round 9 Akui 10-9
Round 10 Akui 10-9
Round 11 Akui 10-9

Taku dabbing his nose, Akui lands a monster right, Taku tries to roll with it, but it looked bad. Akui cutting the ring off magnificently, every time Taku pauses, he cracks him with looping hooks and rights that have him reeling. Taku with a sustained flurry, Akui soaking it up, then batters him around the ring, rocking him several times with leaping hooks.

 

Kuwahara:1,5
Akui: 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,

God bless Kuwahara, he is still fighting.

 

Not in the least, something about Akui doesn't compute with Poncher's dopey ass. It's been the same since round 2, after Taku shaded the first, barely.

 

Kuwahara:1,5.
Akui: 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.

Kuwhara comes to take it in the twelfth and Akui has driven him back in about 20 seconds. Guy has ice in his veins. Absolutely masterful from Akui who dominated a ballsy opponent. I know people will look at the results and feel otherwise but that was even more special IMO from the perspective of temperament, strategic control, discipline. Akui never looked like he was doing anything but sparring a quality training partner.

 

Round 1 Kuwahara 10-9, close
Round 2 Akui 10-9
Round 3 Akui 10-9
Round 4 Akui 10-9
Round 5 Akui 10-9, close
Round 6 Akui 10-9
Round 7 Akui 10-9
Round 8 Akui 10-9
Round 9 Akui 10-9
Round 10 Akui 10-9
Round 11 Akui 10-9
Round 12 Akui 10-9

Akui really wants a repeat of his first KO victory, he's in straight up predator mode, pounding his guts out. The pace slows a bit, Akui still jabbing the living hell out of him though. Damn, he didn't get the KO, he clearly badly wanted.

119-109 Akui