Shingo Wake vs. Yonatan Guzmán & Kazuto Ioka vs. Keyvin Lara RBR

Kazuto Ioka vs. Keyvin Lara, 12 rounds @ flyweight

 

Hard to say. His most notable W is a 4-rounder UD over the cousin (and occasional sparring partner) of Roman "Chocolatito" González when both were very green. :conf

 

Anthems.

 

You wouldn't have thought from the early going with all those knockdowns that Guzmán would be "lucky" to escape with that one, claiming the vacant IBF 122lb title, but he definitely proved to be a front-runner and could be easy pickings for any challenger that can withstand (or avoid) his power early.

 

Round 1

Ioka sways from side to side, right glove attached to his cheekbone and left roaming a few inches out from his face, extended into a range-finding jab or dropped low to swing around with a left hook on the body as Lara rushes in. Lara is trying jabs and looping rights up top, over and over, even as Ioka demonstrates having fully scouted the Nicaraguan's timing & rhythm and deny him any touches.

10-9 Ioka

 

Not a very creative game plan from the WBA #6 contender, but he is giving an effort.

 

Round 2

Ioka still focused on defensive movement and sharp, visibly clean & aesthetically pleasing counter-punching, especially with the dip-aside left hook downstairs. Lara, however, is just hurtling in on him, giving him no space to breathe and flailing away madly. Jabs at the face and short left uppers rubbing the chest by Lara, rolling the right hand in and embedding it dully into the neck of Ioka. Push-jabs by Ioka backing up, more to parry than score, and clinch attempts when Lara gets close, but Lara just wrestles his arms free and continues to let shots fly up close.

10-9 Lara

19-19

 

Lara is a little Terminator! Ioka just can not keep him off, nor is he being allowed to rest after buying passage outside with a counter. Lara is just on him. Ioka landing some HARD left hooks, mostly on the body, sometimes doubled up to crash into Lara's chin, but he can't deter the man. Lara out-landing him by quite a margin.

29-28 Lara

 

Ioka putting together longer combinations in counter, to head & body, and sitting down on them. Still getting massively outworked but a big spike in effectiveness from the WBA regular 112lb champ.

38-38

 

Ioka fully 'awake' now, integrating his defense with a steady commitment to body work, tilting his neck to weave under Lara's chopping blows while hooking the body in return. Pulling away, scoring plenty of powerful hooks to Lara's face as well on the pivot. Ioka leading with the right and ducking & slipping the flurry in response from Lara.

48-47 Ioka

 

Ioka now on the front-foot. This portents ill for Lara. Jabs now scoring for Ioka, joining his thudding body attack. Lara still aiming the fire-hose at Ioka, spraying him with leather, but less convincingly in this new role as the one giving up ground.

58-56

 

Lara now exhausted but still game. Lara tries standing in and hooking with the hooker! Brave. They both land. Ioka harder & cleaner, obviously.

68-65 Ioka

 

Ioka has the right hand lead dialed in now, crunching Lara's nose with it regularly. Lara standing up to everything, no quit in him, but he's open to all of Ioka's punches and his own work rate has dropped.

78-74 Ioka

 

Ioka doing the Ali shuffle!

He's toying with Lara now. At one point Ioka leans casually on the ropes in a deep recline, extending his left arm straight into Lara's face and suspending it there, holding the challenger at bay like a small child trying in vain to attack their older sibling.

88-83 Ioka