Nashiro, Cazares battle to draw
THE RING's No. 4-rated junior bantamweight contender Nobuo Nashiro and the magazine's No. 8-rated 115 pounder Hugo Cazares battled to a 12-round split-draw in Osaka, Japan on Wednesday.
One judge scored the fight 116-112 for Osaka-resident Nashiro, the other scored it 116-112 for Los Mochis, Mexico-native Cazares, while the third judge saw it even, 114-114.
The draw enabled Nashiro (13-1-1, 8 knockouts) to retain a 115-pound title. Nashiro, 27, made headlines in his native Japan when he won his first major belt by scoring a 10-round TKO of respected beltholder Martin Castillo in only his ninth pro bout. His only loss is to two-time beltholder Alexander Munoz, THE RING's No. 2-rated junior bantamweight.
Wednesday's fight was the fourth bout for Cazares, 31, since leaving the 108-pound division where he held THE RING title from September of 2006 to August of 2007.