Yamanaka Knocks Out Santillan In Seven, Still Unbeaten
Apr 16, 2015 • 8:46 AM ET
By Jake Donovan
It's bad news for the rest of the bantamweight division, as unbeaten Shinsuke Yamanaka shows little to no sign of slowing down any time soon. The 32-year old southpaw racked up the eighth successful defense of his alphabet title, knocking out previously undefeated Diego Santillan in seven rounds Thursday evening in Osaka, Japan.
Just two of Yamanaka's nine overall title fights have heard the final bell, with former champs Vic Darchinyan and Suriyan Sor Rungvisai both managing to last the full 12 rounds in separate title challenges. It's otherwise been truly a reign of terror for the well-preserved boxer-puncher, who had no problem turning away Santillan, an unbeaten contender fighting outside of Argentina for the first time in his career.
Yamanaka was in control for nearly the duration of the bout, with Santillan showing gradual signs of improvement along the way, but never to the point where an upset seemend immiment. Open scoring revealed Yamanaka was up 40-36 on all three cards after four rounds, which meant the visiting challenger had some work to do if he were to get back into the fight.
In that regard, the night would only get much worse.
The middle rounds produced the lone two knockdowns of the night. Yamanaka first struck in round six, flooring Santillan for the first time in his career. It was among the many "firsts" the bout represented for the 27-year old—first title fight, first time outside Argentina, first knockdown and eventually his first loss.
Confirmation on that front came early into round seven. Bloodied and battered, Santillan's only hope of survival was minimizing the amount of additional punishment absorbed, perhaps find a way to extend the night into the later round and figure out something from there.
It was a plan destined for failure, as his earmuff defense was shredded by a straight left hand sailing directly through the uprights. Santillan was back on the canvas, this time with referee Michael Griffith electing to stop the onslaught in fear that the night would only get worse.
The official time was 0:32 of round seven.
Yamanaka improves to 23-0-2 (17KOs) with the win, further solidifying his place atop the bantamweight division, even if for the moment by default. A true World lineal champion has reigned at 118 lbs. since the 1980s, though the unbeaten southpaw from Japan is as close as the division comes to boasting a genuine leader.
The long plane ride home to Argentina for Santillan will be spent enduring the pain of suffering his first loss. His record now falls to 23-1 (15KOs).
While Yamanaka establishes his position as the best bantamweight in the world, figuring out how to enhance his pending greatness could prove far more troublesome than his 23 opponents to date.
Any alphabet unification bout will require traveling abroad, as even countryman Tomoki Kameda is forced to fight on the road for as long as the Kameda family is barred from fighting in Japan. It's a shame, as Kameda's upcoming May 9 showdown with Jamie McDonnell would produce the most logical candidate to challenge Yamanaka for the top spot.
Another option is Juan Carlos Payano. The unbeaten titlist from Dominican Republic is still awaiting next steps following his upset win over long-reigning Anselmo Moreno last September. Both Payano and Kameda are advised by Al Haymon, though talks of a future clash remain at no more than a whisper's level at the moment.
The most likely scenario while waiting out a big fight is a defense versus streaking Khazak boxer Zhant Zhakiyanov, who—once the dust settles—will likely emerge as the highest-rated contender as recognized by the WBC.
Whomever surfaces, Yamanaka will likely be ready and waiting. Ring activity has never truly been his forte, limiting himself to 2-3 fights per year, even in the early stages of his career. It perhaps speaks to how, at age 32, he still remains one of the best in the world and just as dominant as when he knocked out Christian Esquivel in 11 rounds to win the title more than three years ago.
The bout aired live on Nippon TV in Japan.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
