Sandoval Claims Controversial Victory
In a stunning twist in the boxing world, Ricardo Sandoval emerged victorious over Kenshiro Teraji to claim the WBC and WBA flyweight titles, despite a wave of controversy surrounding the decision. This dramatic encounter took place at the Yokohama Buntai, where the judges’ split decision sparked a significant backlash, as many fans believed Teraji had done enough to secure the win.
Judging Controversy
The scoring revealed a close contest, with Sandoval receiving cards of 117-110 and 115-112 in his favor, while one judge scored the match 114-113 for Teraji. Many supporters expressed outrage, particularly at the 117-110 score, leading to accusations of potential bias and corrupt judging practices within the sport.
“Boxing is so corrupt,”
one critic stated on social media, suggesting that advance knowledge of the judges’ scores could have affected betting lines.
Although Sandoval walked away with the championship belts, uncertainty looms over his victory, with discussions of a rematch likely to arise in the near future to further validate the outcome.
Exciting Undercard Fights
Earlier in the evening, Antonio Vargas managed to keep his hopes alive for the WBA bantamweight crown by securing a dramatic last-minute knockdown against Japan’s Daigo Higa, resulting in a unanimous draw. In a fight filled with excitement, Higa had earlier knocked Vargas down in the fourth round. However, Vargas’s timely response in the twelfth round earned both fighters a score of 113-113 across the judges, underscoring the competitive nature of this bout.
As the boxing community continues to react to the Sandoval-Teraji fight, with calls for clarity on judging practices growing louder, Vargas’s match displayed the thrilling unpredictability of the sport at its finest. The event featured other notable moments, including a shocking TKO loss for former interim champion Erick Rosa against the unbeaten Kyosuke Takami, whose victory shakes up the rankings in the lighter divisions. Additionally, Joe Umezawa narrowly defeated debutant Tensho Isobe by split decision in a four-round super bantamweight bout, while Yuki Taniguchi delivered an impressive second-round TKO during his professional debut against Yukihiro Mebius Kitamura.
Conclusion
The decision in the Sandoval versus Teraji fight is set to be remembered as one of the most contentious of the year, while Vargas’s resilience in the ring reminded fans of the sport’s thrilling essence.
