Mugen IV (Japan vs. Philippines) - Seita Ogido vs. Jonathan Refugio RBR

Live from Onikawa.

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Yuko Henzan vs. Chisa Tanaka, 4x2" @ bantamweight

 

Only the final three bouts on the card feature Japanese vs. Filipino boxers; the rest is all local talent.

 

Tatsuro Nakashima vs. Masaki Hirai, 4 rounds @ light flyweight

 

Hirai just bulldozing his way in with his face down, throwing uppercuts nonstop and slapping overhead with the occasional blind hook. Good defense by Nakashima, catching shots on his elbows or letting them slope up the rear of his forearms when he dips forward to eclipse Hirai, countering with salvos of straight punches between the gap or clubbing with overhands across the upper anterior of Hirai's skull.

 

The kids on these small hall shows in Nippon really go for it as though a championship were on the line, no matter how sparse a crowd they're playing to. Always good viewing.

 

Hirai genki AF right now despite being on the wrong end of a painfully drawn out drubbing. Nakashima lacks the one-shot pop (or killer instinct) to kayo him outright but is lighting him up consistently while making him expend tons of energy on misses and re-positioning. Hirai's last-ditch attempt to switch game plans is a repetitive needling belly-poke jab, which Nakashima ignores until he can no longer prevent his elbows from dropping instinctively to intercept the nuisance of light contact once it accumulates into a steady ache, whereupon Hirai tries some desperate shot-put bombs up top - most just grazing the sideburns harmlessly but keeping him in the fight and keeping Nakashima honest (and too distracted to keep pounding on Hirai's face at will).

 

Shutout for Nakashima.

 

Ryuji Ikehara vs. Koichi Uryu, 8 rounds @ super bantamweight

 

Uryu has the shoulder tats and black trunks, Ikehara red.

 

Round 1

Ikehara is catching jabs with an economical parry, just moving his fist an inch from his face, occasionally feinting his own counter jab. Uryu is bouncing around him at medium-long range, now working in straight combos, light and fast, hanging outside and not leaning fully in to commit. Ikehara lies in wait as Uryu comes at him with a decoy shoeshine before dipping to go for an uppercut on the solar plexus. Ikehara scoots back a step and pulls his abdomen in to dodge and swats Uryu over the ear with a hook. Ikehara scores a couple of sharp jabs through Uryu's guard while turning in place and using very minimal footwork to walk Uryu down and broaden his circling range.

10-9 Ikehara

 

Round 2

Ikehara is holding up the high guard and then slicing low can-opener rights across the body when Uryu charges. A few solid overhand rights get through for Uryu, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Straight right hands followed by left hooks making some headway for Uryu, breaking Ikehara's guard apart and pushing him back involuntarily. Ikehara misses a few jabs over Uryu's head and then grazes with a couple. Body shots by Uryu.

10-9 Uryu

19-19

 

Round 3

Ikehara is breathing heavily now, through his mouth, but still outmaneuvering Uryu. Ikehara maintaining ring generalship and firing the cleaner stuff but not much of it. Ikehara landing at a low percentage with the throwaway jab but scoring well with the looping right on the body or 1-2s up top, but mostly is moving in reverse as Uryu creeps in on him, submarining until close enough to spring up off bent knees with a hook tapped against his temple. Gentle body jabs by Uryu comprising the bulk of actual point scoring leather by either.

10-9 Uryu, close

29-28 Uryu