Antonio Cervantes Vs Lion Furuyama: Hometown robbery?

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Kazama Kiyoshi ('Battlehawk Kazama')

* A very impressive Japan Amateur,,,,
* At age 18 - Won the 1968 Inter-Scholastic Championship in the 132 lb. Lightweight Division.
* Went on to become the 1972 All-Japan National Lightweight Champion
* Was 123-9 (104 KO's) as an Amateur, including 19-4 in International Competition.
* Was 'highly touted' but lacked the 'killer instinct'
* Moved to Oahu, Hawaii in 1974, to train under the supervision of Jim Todd
* Turned Professional, at age 24, in Hawaii on July 30, 1974
* At 5' 7", with an orthodox boxing-stance, utilized a boxer-puncher style.
* Campaigned as a 135 lb. Lightweight and 140 lb. Light-Welterweight

 

Now, that's what I'm talkin about!:bananamaniac

 

Kazama Kiyoshi - Battlehawk Kazama'

1974 - Won all '5-Bouts' in Hawaii, 5-0-0 (1 KO)
1974 - Trainer Jim Todd, said he lacked the 'killer instinct' required to be a successful Professional.

January 5, 1975 - With only '5-Bouts' and only 23-Rounds as a Professional -
The 25 year-old 'Battlehawk' takes on 'Top-Rated' Light-Welterweight, #3 WBA/#2 WBC Lion Furuyama 31-7-2 (22 KO's)
for the Japanese Light-Welterweight Title in Tokyo (his First Professional bout on Japan soil).

Battlehawk puts on a sharp performance against the experienced Lion Furuyama, first by boxing
with quick jabs, then taking it to the southpaw Furuyama with a hard body attack.

A 10-Round Draw was logged as the result, but many felt that the young 25 year-old
'5-Bout Pro' Battlehawk Kazama 'out-worked' the 27 year-old Lion Furuyama.

That performance, earned Battlehawk Kazama at 5-0-1 (1 KO) a #18 WBA Light-Welterweight ranking.

A month later, Lion Furuyama was getting stopped (L KO 7) by '1-Bout' Professional, Saensak Muangsurin.

On August 17, 1975 - 'Battlehawk' Kazama travelled to China, to 'impressively' defeat (W Dec 10) Filipino
Light-Welterweight Tito Gonzaga 14-1-2 (6 KO's).

Two-weeks later - on August 31, 1975 - 'Battlehawk' Kazama again battled 'Top-10 Rated' Lion Furuyama 32-9-3 to a
10-Round Draw.

'Battlehawk' Kazama, now 6-0-2 (1 KO), was awarded a #10 WBA Light-Welterweight ranking.

 

Thanks Flea,,,,,,,,,,,,

September 20, 1975

WBA Light-Welterweight Champion, Antonio Cervantes 72-9-3 (33 KO's) is looking for an 'easy' Title
Defense, #10 in his reign.

Since winning the WBA Championship in October 1972 over Alfonso Frazer, Cervantes has gone 13-0-0 (10 KO's)
{'9' Title Defenses and '4' non-title bouts}.

In his last defense on May 17, 1975 - 'Kid Pambele' won a 'one-sided' bout over
#1 WBA Esteban DeJesus.

Tryin to stay busy - enter #10 WBA 'Battlehawk' Kazama 6-0-2 (1 KO).

The bout, scheduled for a WBA Championship bout, is set for Saturday Afternoon
on September 20, 1975 - at the Nuevo Circo, Caracas, Venezuela - an outdoor stadium
where 9000 fans will attend.

But, amazingly, the WBA (World Boxing Association) Championship Committee shows some
'integrity' - and does not 'sanction' the bout for a Championship Fight.

Though Rated #10 by the WBA, the Championship Committe deems 'Battlehawk' Kazama
not experienced enough for a WBA Championship bout, with only '8-bouts' and '53' Rounds of experience.

Instead, it will be a scheduled 10-Round Non-Title bout. 'Battlehawk' Kazama agrees to
a $7500 fight pourse (U.S. Dollars), plus 30% of the ancillary rights for the Japan television broadcast rights.

Antonio Cervantes signs for a $25,000 guarantee purse.

The bout itself - the 5' 9" 29 1/2 year-old Champion has no problem with the 5' 7"
light-punching 'Battlehawk' - and controls the bout by counter-punching with with sharp jabs,
and whipping right-hand upper-cuts.

By Round 5, 'Battlehawk' has been battered around, and only survives by 'sheer heart'.

In Round 6, Cervantes opens up with his full arsenal, causing the Referee to halt the
bout moments before the bell ending the Round.
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WBA Lightweight Champion, Roberto Duran was in attendance, to watch and scout Antonio Cervantes
for a possible 1976 bout. 10-days later, on September 30, 1975 - in New York - Roberto Duran was to
take on Edwin Viruet in a 10-Round non-title bout.

Roberto Duran, (Translation) - 'Cervantes looked very good against a very inexperienced opponent,
one who had no idea on how to throw forceful punches.'

 

Yes,,,,,,,A Show of Confidence as Usual,,,,,,,

Roberto Duran vs. Antonio Cervantes (Early 1976 was the time)

Each Manager (Carlos Eleta and Ramiro Machado) doing their best to protect each fighter, and try to get the edge.

'Psychological Warfare'

No Panama or No Columbia

This bout was made for Las Vegas or New York.

 

Flea, I've just watched it and thought it was a top scrap (although I'm afraid I didn't score it) with Cervantes edging home closeish but clear minus the couple of rounds. Best performance of Furuyama's career? He gave a very good account of himself all in all and showed how a fighter should try to apply himself in the face of certain disadvantages. Definitely deserved a rematch, although something tells me that Cervantes either didn't train properly or just didn't take Furuyama seriously, or both. Even though he was dictating terms from the get-go with the range control, little diagonal step ins/outs, chopping two-fisted attack and physicality etc, he looked a bit wilder and more arrogant than was usual and showed Furuyama little to no respect in those early rounds. Add it to the following: him looking surprised at the way Furuyama steadily asserted himself after not folding; the way he became more tired/ragged down the stretch; the respective stages they both at were in terms of career progress (Cervantes dominant at the height of his powers and Furuyama inexperienced with prior defeats to Pruitt, Lee, Perkins etc); the way they were both perceived at the time. Seems like a reasonable enough assumption to make, though I'm sure that some of the wild early swings (and misses) from Cervantes didn't help him later in the fight.

I like how Furuyama never flapped or panicked under fire, made small adjustments, and just kept applying steady counter pressure from that low stance. Steadiness and consistency were generally of little consequence to Cervantes, much like an opponent being willing to swap punches or engage physically usually weren't. Here though it worked pretty well and Furuyama definitely stung him on more than one occasion with Cervantes looking a tad taken aback by Furuyama's power. He was a solid hitter though, was Furuyama, so that's fair enough I suppose, and he read Cervantes quite well I thought as the fight went on. Read their respective positions and how Cervantes was trying to control things, edged forward, made Cervantes overextend and then countered in bunches. He did a lot of good parrying and blocking too. Cervantes looked dangerous with the uppercuts though and on the occasions he was able to get a body attack on the counter going. I know we've spoken about it before how he could have benefited from going downstairs more ala Arguello/Hearns but was sometimes hindered by his own choppiness and balance, something that was never a problem when he went headhunting unless the target had a particular surname that sounded a bit like Locche or Benitez.

If a rematch had come about as Furuyama deserved, I think Cervantes might have battered him senseless second time around.

 

Correct,,,,,,,,Mr. Tin Ribs

The 26 year-old, Lion Furuyama put on a 'career performance' over the 'older',
but still highly talented Antonio Cervantes.

Lion was, strong, durable and just awkward enough to give the Columbian a few fits
in the Panama Ring on December 5, 1973.

Lion had to be riding high, with '8' straight wins and '7' by Knock-out. He was most likely
at his 'physical and mental' peak.

It may have been just a slightly 'off Friday Night' for the Champion.

3-Months earlier, in the same ring, 22 year-old Roberto Duran had some difficulty
with another Japanese fighter, Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki, before scoring a TKO 10.

 

Thanks for all the great information you post on here Pepe, it makes for refreshing reading.

 

Flea,,,,,,

1974 or 1975,,,,,,,,,Roberto Duran versus Lion Furuyama would have been
a good 140 lb. non-title bout.