Takuma Inoue (left) and Sho Ishida. Picture by Naoki Fukuda
Takuma Inoue will doubtless by no means escape the shadow of his older brother, however he continues to become an entire boxer and top-class world titleholder, as evidenced by the second protection of his WBA bantamweight title in opposition to robust veteran Sho Ishida on the undercard of Naoya’s showdown with Luis Nery on Monday on the Tokyo Dome.
Aside struggling a gap spherical knockdown (courtesy of a stiff jab from Ishida), Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) placed on a boxing clinic in opposition to the gritty 32-year-old former title challenger, profitable a unanimous resolution by scores of 118-109 (twice) and 116-111.
The 28-year-old Yokohama native beat the veteran from Osaka to the punch whether or not he was setting traps and counterpunching off the again foot or standing and buying and selling within the pocket.
Inoue, the quicker and extra fluid and artistic puncher, had Ishida’s nostril bleeding from the second spherical on, with a lot of the harm coming from uppercuts, however the taller challenger was additionally punished with crisp jabs, one-two mixtures and hooks to the physique.
Inoue was the ring basic all through the bout, though Ishida (34-4, 17 KOs), who has by no means been stopped, tried his finest to mount a rally in Rounds 10 and 11.
Inoue, The Ring’s No. 5-rated bantamweight, made the primary protection of his title with a ninth-round stoppage former 115-pound beltholder Jerwin Ancajas in February
