Marjohn Kiunisala Yap vs. Takafumi Nakajima RBR

Round 12

Nakajima is strapping Yap across the head with right hands. Yap is snapping 1-2s on the backfoot. Nakajima is careening toward him, nonstop, coals stoked by the fans willing him onward. Yap is pausing to partake in some violent tradings but then rushing into position to catch Nakajima with backfoot counters. Nakajima playing right into his waiting hands, repeatedly diving face-first into shots.

10-9 Yap

114-114

 

Scores apparently tabulated very quickly. They are read by an off-screen ring announcer (not present in the ring) over the PA, while the fighters are still having their gloves removed and wrist tape scissored off. Sounds like Yap took a decision, not sure of the scores but he raises his fist triumphantly and they definitely said his name and the word champion, so either way he retained. UD/MD/SD or draw I have no idea. Nakajima bows graciously.

 

Pulled them off BoxRec...

116-112
116-112
117-111

UD for Yap

 

All three official judges, including the one that had it 9-3 for Yap, were Japanese.

 

Marjohn's buddy keeps pausing instead of simply ending the live broadcast. So we keep getting snippets of audio (presumably from Yap's dressing room) while the image remains black as his phone is probably in his pocket and we keep getting butt-dialed.

 

"The Journey Man" improves to a record of 29-12 (14) and pushes his current unbeaten streak to now 10-0 (4) over the last 3½ years.

"Ringo (The Apple) Nakaji" falls to now 29-10-1 (13), snapping a 4-0 streak.

 

You were right, @PinoyProdigy that was a lot of fun, thanks for the heads-up!

 

If he keeps this streak up much longer I think he needs to change his nickname!

 

Funny thing is my alarm went off for this at 7 in the morning and I snoozed it, and would've missed out but for my cat (heard the alarm, decided it was feeding time, and wouldn't stop pestering me )

Thanks, kitty!

 

What came as somewhat of a surprise to me is just how popular Yap is among his countrymen. The well-wishing comments for him on social media were like a who's-who of Pinoy boxing. Even guys like Roli Gasca, himself a former OPBF super bantam champ whose record is very respectable, were calling him "idol".

 

In the last half a dozen years since he began living in Osaka, fifteen* of his last sixteen opponents have been Japanese, with a single debuting Thai for the combo-breaker.

*or rather, thirteen Rising Sun natives (one, Hiroyuki Kudaka, fought twice) plus one repatriated kindred spirit in JJ Landaeta, who fought the first half of his career in his birthplace of Venezuela before relocating.

He still maintains strong ties with the pugilistic fraternity back home, though.