Big card at Sumo Hall - Toshiaki Nishioka vs. Rendall Munroe RBR

Round 6

Munroe is following with his offense muted until he's right in the pocket, when he unloads hard right hooks with a nice bend to them, and uppercuts. Nishioka is clustering his jab and throwing his hard 1-2 from a variety of positions, including off the back foot.

 

Round 7

Munroe is still clogging up the inside with his high right hook and uppercut to the gut. Nishioka keeps trying to maintain distance, flurrying his way loose when Munroe traps him and then lining up his long 1-2 at the tip of his reach. Munroe lets his hands go on Nishioka whenever a combo lands on him, finding Nishioka's body at the very least each time. Nishioka is ducking and jerking his neck too much to take as many clean power punches upstairs but does have a cut from either the Munroe jab or a gradual accumulation of half a fight.

 

Round 8

Nishioka is landing his own body shots now with authority. Straight lefts from several feet away, right hooks on the turn as he circles that way, and even a peppering of jabs to the binman's navel just to keep him thinking about it. Munroe is still throwing hard and looks game enough but can't touch Nishioka, who is still fast for as tired as he looks.

 

Round 9

Nishioka gets Munroe backing up from the jab and then torpedoes him in the body with the left. Munroe keeps plugging away with right hooks that are just barely missing the chin of the seemingly roller-skating Nishioka and lunging right hands that miss a bit more obtusely. Nishioka keeps chopping at him with the 1-2 and using the ring well.

 

Round 10

Munroe is trying to fool Nishioka into slowing down by again not punching on his way in, but as soon as the hands move so does Nishioka. Munroe does keep the pressure going for the entire round and forces Nishioka to never quite feel comfortable squaring up for real power. Nishioka is still able to land enough while threading the needle and running around him. Nishioka hurts him with a liver shot and goes in for the kill but Munroe fights him off.

 

Round 11

Nishioka is braving the inside now, leaving his jab stuck in Munroe's craw. Nishioka punches right through the now slower and weaker shots of Munroe and really hammers him to the face and body. Munroe, for his part, is keeping his hands up in between his own volleys but that isn't helping him as the left of the Speed King continues to make a sizable dent in his body.

 

I had it even through 4, and all Nishioka since.

 

Round 12

Quintuple jab from Nishioka lands. Munroe still looks to have some energy left and moves his head but just not at the right moments. Nishioka suddenly comes on with a burst of speed and Munroe has to turtle up to protect himself from the barrage. Munroe hops in rhythm, trying to mount a big offensive surge but Nishioka just overwhelms him with fast combinations at every turn. Munroe is knocked into the ropes and harassed across the ring. Nishioka with nonstop flurries keeps Munroe from doing anything in the last minute of the round.

 

119-109 x3 for Toshiaki "Speed King" Nishioka

I gave Munroe two rounds instead of one, but it's a minor quibble.

 

Next up for the big winners at the Kokugikan?

Nishioka, Gonzalez and Linares should all head back to Mexico (where they've each fought at least once) on yet another stacked card, because that's where the best opponents for all three are based.

Japan's Nishioka could effectively seal the deal on being officially recognized "the man" (and perhaps even awarded the Ring title) at 122 by beating Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. on Mexican soil.

Nicaragua's Gonzalez is in a similar position at light flyweight - with he and Giovanni Segura seemingly destined to battle for supremacy (the rest of the best in the field being a bit long in the tooth).

Venezuela's Linares thrives against the come-forward style that has so long been emblematic of Mexican boxing...and there are three very good names at lightweight for him to try and raise his game against: Miguel Vazquez, Tony DeMarco, and Humberto Soto.

Nishioka vs. Vazquez, Gonzalez vs. Segura, and Linares vs. any of the above would be even better than the Sumo Hall card, and probably the all-around best card of next year.

As for the losers...

Munroe should return to the domestic/Commonwealth scene, where he should do quite well. World class is just a baby step too far, which at the end of the day is no great knock on any fighter.

Rosas should and probably will continue to ply his trade as a journeyman, springing the odd upset and mostly giving good fighters good fights.

Chavez really needs to retire before he gets badly hurt. Nobody wants to see that.