Takayama. Katsunari Takayama (25-6, 10KO?s) of Osaka, Japan became the new IBF minimumweight world champion by scoring a clear unanimous decision victory over Mexican Mario “Dragoncito” Rodr?guez (15-7-4, 11KO?s) at at the Francisco Carranza Lim?n Stadium in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico. “Dragoncito,” was making his first title defense.
Scores were 117-111, 119-109 and 115-113 all in favor of the 29-year-old Katsunari Takayama, who six years ago briefly held the WBA interim minimumweight title.
Takayama should make his first world title defense against IBF #1 contender Filipino Mateo Handig Singwancha (13-5, 7KO’s) of Northern Samar.
Handig (handled by Brico Santig and Naris Singwancha) defeated Takayama in a close split decision last October in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines.
In very close battle between Mexican warriors that could have gone either way, Pedro “Jibr?n” Guevara (19-1-1, 13KO?s) of Sinaloa won a razor thin split decision over former two-time world champion Ra?l “Rayito” Garc?a (33-3-1, 21KO?s) of Baja California, to capture the vacant WBC Silver Jr. Flyweight Title.
Scores were 114-113, 115-113 in favor of Guevara, and 114-113 in favor of Garc?a.
The win gets Guevara closer to a clash with regular WBC Jr. Flyweight World Champion Adri?n “El Confesor” Hern?ndez (26-2-1, 16KO?s) of Toluca, M?xico.
The evening of boxing in Guasave, Sinaloa, was a production of ring legend Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Promociones del Pueblo and Goossen Tutor Promotions, in association with Cerveza Corona.
