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...
Tammy Abraham on Fire, Grabs Treble as Chelsea...
Errors in City vs Arsenal match, a show...
Anambra wonder kid wins 4 gold in gymnastics...
Oliseh: Man who saw Morocco’s heroics coming
Wolves’ Star Traore Earns First Senior Mali Call-Up...
Champions Juventus Kick Off Serie A Defence Against...

Nnamdi wins Nigeria’s first NCAA javelin title
Olise, Yamal headline stars at maiden W’Cup
South Africa’s Williams hurt by lack of African support
Rema, Lisa, Anitta shine at World Cup 2026 opening ceremony
Balogun scores twice as US thrash Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup opener
Ajayi, Ogazi win NCAA titles
NOC Holds Sports Medicine Seminar For Female Medics In Benin City
AFN VP pledges N1.6m reward for C’wealth Games trials
Joshua warns Prenga ahead July 25 bout
Nigeria’s World Cup absence a big miss – Terry
NOC To Formally Launch Safeguarding Policy On June 16
Messi scores on injury return as Argentina beat Iceland in World Cup warm-up
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,854 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,185 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,129 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,704 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,604 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,497 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,339 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,899 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,084 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,580 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,022 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,459 views)