Edgar Sosa Stops Takachi Kunishige in Mexico City
By James Blears
Before a rowdy crowd at Mexico City's Palacio De Los Deportes, WBC light flyweight champion Edgar Sosa (32-5, 17KOs) stopped brave Japanese southpaw Takachi Kunishige (18-3, 2KOs) after eight one sided rounds.
In a twenty fight career Takachi had lost twice, but never stopped. However, he'd achieved only two KO's of his own, and was outgunned by heavier hitting Edgar. It was Edgar's fifth title defence, and his most convincing.
He threw everything including the kitchen sink at Takachi who soaked up some terrific straight rights and some sinking body clouts to fight back with spirted right leads, and the occasional left hook. But the unremitting punishment was taking its toll.
Takachi was wobbled in the fith, sixth seventh and eight. His cheeks were swollen to mouses, when Edgar moved in for the kill and finished him in a neutral corner at 1:39. By that time he was out on his feet.
In Other Bouts
Ex-WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz (28-8-2, 18KOs) fought NABF flyweight champion Adrian Hernandez (13-0-1, 11KOs) to a technical draw, after the fight was stopped in the fifth.
An accidental clash of heads in the third, opened a small but deep cut over Eric's left eye. Another resounding crack of craniums in the fifth worsened it enough for the ring doctor to call halt.
Noticeably smaller, Eric was neater and more precise, but his punches lacked pep. However,in the fourth he opened up snapping Adrian's head back with left right combinations, but took some hard body shots.
Boxing great Lupe Pintor was in Adrian's corner. While the wily Rudy Perez was seconding Eric.
Eric appeared to be ahead after four, but the draw means Adrian retains his title.
Mia St. John used her greater experience to win a tough eight-round unanimous decision against Amy Yuratovac, for the womens' WBC Welterweight International Championship.
Mia (43-9 2, 18KOs), used ringcraft and was stronger in the clinches. She sometimes abandoned her high handed defence dangling her left lead and was caught by overhead rights from heavier handed Amy 6-1-0, 6 ko's who then made the mistake of letting herself be manhandled. Both women often stood toe to toe and slugged, but neither often landed clean shots.
Mia came into her own in the second half of the fight. Originally from Zacatecas, she was favored by the partisan crowd in Mexico City's Palacio De Los Deportes, who chanted Mexico. Amy fought hard to the final bell of eight torried rounds, but Mia´s greater savvy won out, although not by that much.