Full Report With Photos: Santiago Edges Takami, Unifies WBA, WBO 108lb Belts
By Joe Koizumi
Puerto Rican WBO champion Rene Santiago (15-4, 9 KOs), 107.5, eked out a split decision over WBA ruler Kyosuke Takami (10-1, 8 KOs), 107.75, to unify the light flyweight belts in hairline seesaw rounds on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. The scoresheets were as follows: Richard Blouin (Canada) 115-113, Leszek Jankowiak (Poland) 117-111, both for Santiago, Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) 116-112 for Takami. Referee was Steve Willis (US).
It was a close affair, but the audience believed in Takami’s victory because of his constant aggressiveness. The crowd of 7,500 fans was so greatly stunned at the verdict, especially a judge’s debatable tally of 117-111. Did he see Takami, the previously unbeaten prodigy, win only three points?
The Puerto Rican, who dethroned Takami’s stablemate Shokichi Iwata here this March, applied a same strategy as shown then in moving side-to-side and waiting for opportunities of counterpunching the aggressor. Kyosuke, ten years his junior at 23, accelerated his attack in the second half and looked to have dominated enough points for victory.
The dejected loser Takami said, “I believed in my victory, but I don’t repent of this setback but go on to move up in the flyweight category.” The unified champ Santiago jubilantly said, “I could acquire a couple of belts here in Japan this year. I fought patiently and cleverly, which fortunately paid off.”
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