By Daily Sports on January 1, 2018
Lanky Japanese speedster Ryoichi Taguchi (27-2-2 12 KOs), 107.75, unified the WBA and IBF 108-pound belts when he displayed a late surge to pound out a unanimous decision over Filipino Milan Melindo (37-3, 13 KOs), 107.5, twelve hard-fought gory rounds on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan.
The official tallies were as follows—Gustavo Jarquin (Nicaragua) 116-112, Francis Jackson (US) and Ignacio Robles (Panama) both 117-111, all in favor of Taguchi. The referee was Mark Nelson (US) who handled the fast-paced unification bout very well.
The WBA ruler Taguchi had a tough time coping with the shorter but sharper IBF titlist in earlier rounds, but the Japanese almost swept the second half by utilizing his advantageous height and reach.
They often made head collisions to see Melindo bleeding from gashes over both eyebrows and Taguchi from a cut on the forehead. In later rounds, Melindo was visibly fading and slowing down only to have Taguchi take the initiative to pile up important points down the stretch.
•Photo shows Ryoichi Taguchi.
Source Daily Sports
Posted January 1, 2018
You may also like...
CAF Confederation Cup: Enyimba shine in Rwanda, hold...
Emenike match winner for Fenerbache again
Injury Crisis In Napoli As Koulibaly Suffers Hamstring...
Why I Joined Olimpia Asuncion — Adebayor
De Bruyne Out ‘For A While’ with Hamstring...
Cancelo In Man City Squad After Attack
Obiejesi Ratified As President of Okija Town Union, Lagos ...Thanks Members For Endorsing Him ...Urges Them To Unite And Move The Union Forward
Onuachu, Osimhen, others set for title defences as new season begins
Hrgovic confident of Itauma upset
Thrills as Nigerian women win 2026 ABVD Cup
Ajibade, Babajide promise Falcons comeback
Madugu apologises, Falcons heartbroken as NFF probes W’Cup failure
Agege LG boss kicks off 2026 Obasa Summer Games
Super Falcons miss first Women’s World Cup after 2-1 S’Africa loss
Joshua, Fury fight hits stumbling block
Coach apologises to Nigerians over Falcons World Cup miss
Katsina United clarifies Ozor’s death report
SWAN Congratulates New Anambra CP Ama On Assumption Of Duty
Most Read
Rangers International going, going . . . (64,029 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,387 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,277 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,877 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,756 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,631 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,526 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (52,036 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,246 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,717 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,203 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,584 views)