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Ring Ratings Update: Yaegashi wins RING flyweight title

Fighters Network
09
Apr

 

There was a lot of recent title bout action on stacked cards held in Japan and Macau, which caused notable movement in THE RING’s lighter-weight rankings. A new RING flyweight champ was crowned when Akira Yaegashi beat Toshiyuki Igarashi by a unanimous decision.

At welterweight, undefeated Italian veteran Leonard Bundu scored an impressive 11th-round knockout of former contender Rafal Jackiewicz and is close to cracking the top 10 rankings but no just yet.



At junior lightweight, Roman Martinez retained his WBO title scoring a close, split decision over fellow RING-rated Diego Magdaleno, who was dropped once in the fight.

The fight was scored close and viewed as such by most fans, many of whom believed Martinez deserved the nod. Magdaleno, the No. 7-rated 130 pounder, and Martinez, the No. 4-rated junior lightweight, will remain in their current spots.

Also in the 130-pound division, Takashi Miura scored a ninth-round TKO of Gamaliel Diaz, winning the WBC title. Diaz will dropped from the rankings and be replaced by Miura (25-2-2, 19 knockouts) at his former spot of No. 8.

Miura, a 28-year-old Tokyo-based veteran, has only lost one bout in the past 5¾ years, an eighth-round stoppage to THE RING’s No. 1-rated junior lightweight, Takashi Uchiyama, in a WBA title bout in January of 2011. Miura scored a third-round knockdown in that competitive fight.

At bantamweight, THE RING’s No. 2-rated contender Shinuke Yamanaka stopped Malcolm Tunacao in the 12th round to retain his WBC title. THE RING’s No. 4-rated contender Koki Kameda won a close decision over Panomroonglek Kaiyanghadaogym. Former 11 5-pound beltholder Nobuo Nashiro scored a decent win but there is no movement is this division.

At flyweight, former 108-pound title challenger Juan Estrada clearly defeated Brian Viloria (though by split decision) and former 105-pound beltholder Akira Yaegashi beat Toshiyuki Igarashi by a unanimous decision. The two 112-pound title bouts caused significant reshuffling in THE RING’s flyweight rankings:

Champion: Yaegashi

1. Estrada

2. Viloria

3. Hernan Marquez

4. Moruti Mthalane

5. Igarashi

6. Milan Melindo

7. Juan Carlos Reveco

8. Edgar Sosa

9. Rocky Fuentes

10. Luis Concepcion

Former champ Sonny Boy Jaro was dropped from the ratings.

At junior flyweight, Ryoichi Taguchi outpointed Yuki Chinin to win the Japanese title. THE RING’s No. 8 junior flyweight faced an opponent just outside the top 10 but no movement. 

At strawweight, Denver Cuello fought for the first time in six months and won a majority decision over Takashi Kunishige. No movement for Cuello since is already ranked No. 1. Yaegashi is now our flyweight champion so he is dropped from the No. 6 spot in the 105-pound rankings. Merlito Sabillo (21-0, 11 KOs), an accomplished 29-year-old boxer from the Philippines, is added at No. 10 with numbers 6-10 moving up one spot.

 

 

Photos / Naoki Fukuda

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