Kuniaki Shibata vs Victor Echegaray - 1973-06-19 - Forgotten Super Featherweight 15 Rounder

Shibata was one of me dad's sparring partners when he fought Fighting Harada. He was a strong dangerous puncher but he could be vulnerable in a shoot out.

 

Did your old fella say much about him Al? I've always thought he was a dangerous and extremely good fighter at his best. A somewhat shaky chin against the better punchers and susceptible to being caught cold in the early going, but a really well-schooled, fluid style with an excellent jab and hook. Good power too. Not the type of guy you'd want to spot a lead to; he was really hard to knock out of his groove once he'd settled down. Out-Saldivared Saldivar.

 

That bouncy, tippy-toed footwork and upper-body/head movement for the slip and counter actually reminds me of Harada more than I'd realised. Shibata was probably good preparation for Rudkin in that sense.

 

No I don't think me dad even knew he'd sparred with Shibata who was only a prelim fighter at the time. I only found out by chance when i was reading through dad's old scrap books and his name was mentioned. I had a quick look at the fight above and i thought too that he looked a bit like Harada.

 

Incidentally there was talk of me dad fighting Saldivar for the featherweight title in 1970 if he won the British featherweight title from Jimmy Revie. Me dad took this fight at short notice as a favour to Harry Levine who needed an opponent for Jimmy. Dad came unstuck here, he wasn't really expecting any problems but Jimmy was a long rangy southpaw and dad couldn't get to terms with him though he did finish very strongly to make it close. If he'd won there's a good chance he'd of been in with Saldivar instead of Shibata and we all know what happened there.

 

That's cool, nice one. I'll bet there are some memories in that book. Do you know if he sparred with any other up and comers during the build up to any of his other big fights?

 

I could imagine Revie being a banana skin at domestic/euro level for anyone moving up in weight. He was more like a natural super-feather/lightweight than feather and by all accounts your Dad never had much bother making bantam iirc. He'd have been world ranked if he'd had the British title wouldn't he? Which makes sense about him being in the frame for Saldivar; wasn't Revie long touted as a possible opponent for Fammo while he was still champion?

 

Yes, dad should of took a couple of fights at featherweight before he fought Jimmy. As it happens he was struggling with the weight from 1969 onwards. He never made the weight for the first Clark fight in April 1970, 6 ounces over. he skipped it off a boiler room. The reason he stayedv at bantam was because he was champat that weight and it was the title fights that brought the good money in. I don't remember reading much about it at the time but yes I would imagine Revie would of been looking for a fight with Famechon who was campaigning in London. Me dad was at the Famechon Saldivar fight in Rome and I think Revie was also there.

 

He sparred mostly with John McCluskey and Frankie Taylor before that. He sparred with a lot of the top amateurs of the day as well, Dave Needham was one of the young lads. He went on to win the Bantamweight and Featherweight titles(British)He always regretted he never sparred with Chucho Castillo who was using the same gym as him in LA, The Alexandria I think it was called. Here's one for you, I was talking to Howard Winstone jnr and he told me his dad sparred with Olivares when he boxed Saldivar in Mexico. I'd like to of seen that one.

 

Yeah? I'm familiar with McCluskey and Needham, an old quiz team mate of mine who has a deep knowledge of the sport used to talk about them. I think he watched Needham a few times when he was on the way up.

Chucho would've been good sparring for anyone. Great fighter that man.

I dunno if you've mentioned that Winstone used to spar with Olivares before? I'm sure I've heard it before, or read it somewhere. Can't think. Would've been a great fight at feather though.

 

Watching Shibata vs Villaflor now and hope to watch this one afterwards if the day does not slip away from me.

 

Rounds 1-5 a fun little tactical battle with more early action than Villaflor vs Shibata.

Round 1 starts slow but Shibata shifts into the aggressor towards the end taking the listless feel out round.

2 Eschegaray works behind a solid jab, but little else and does not string any combos together. Shibata goes defensive and stymies any opportunity and strings some nice quick combos together to take a close round.

3 More of the same, with Eschegaray pumping the jab, and an occasional overhand right or right cross, but Shibata is just able to circle and move and fight for 1 minute each of these 3 rounds to pitch a shutout so far on my card.

4 Eschegaray works the jab much more confidently this round and strings together a few combinations but still not enough to make Shibata uncomfortable. Eschegaray sensing the pattern stuffles Shibata over the final minute taking the round.

5 Shibata starts fast taking the lead not letting Eschegaray get a feel for the rhythm or to gain confidence behind his jab. Eschegaray reestablishes the jab and settles in during the mid portion, but again Shibata takes it back over the end.

Some nice ebbs and flows and strategy during these first 5 but Eschegaray is going to have to put some punches together at some point if he is going to get in this fight.