Join Will Cooling at 10am BST/5am ET for live results and play by play of Leicester binman Rendall Munroe’s attempt to defeat Toshiaki Nishioka and claim the WBC Super Bantamweight Title. We will be bringing you all the action from Tokyo, Japan that is televised on Sky Sports. Underdog Munroe will be looking to emulate fellow countryman Ricky Burns in pulling out the upset against a favored and experienced champion.
Morning fight fans for what is some very early morning boxing live from Tokyo, Japan. Can Leicester’s Rendall Munroe join Ricky Burns, David Haye and Amir Khan in the ranks of British boxing world champions? To maximize his chances he’s taken nine weeks off his regular job as a binman and is coming off a eleven-fight winning streak that has brought the English, Commonwealth, British and European Titles. That said, the veteran champion Toshiaki Nishioka is the favorite, having operated at a higher level than Munroe.
On the undercard Roman Gonzales demolishes Francisco Rosas in just two rounds to win the WBA Interim Light-Flyweight Title, dropping Rosas three times in the second to seal the victory at 1:38. Gonzales looked really good here, just blitzing Rosas with straight punches and hooks to the body. At times Rosas threatened to be able to stand and trade with him, but he just couldn’t cope with the power of Rosas.
WBC Super Bantamweight Title Fight: Toshiaki Nishioka (8st 8Ibs 12oz) vs. Rendall Munroe (8st 8Ibs 40z)
Here we go. The sight of ‘My Old Man’s A Dustbin Man’ being used entrance music in the Sumo Hall just cracks me up for some reason. Munroe is a big Super Bantamweight so the fact that he is several pounds under the weight limit may be a sign of a bad cut. Munroe is by no means a fighter with knockout power, with less than half of his victories coming within the distance. He’ll be looking to grind out the victory by outmuscling and outworking the smaller and older Nishioka. Based on previous form, Nishioka is the classier of the two with better footwork and shot selection. Nishioka is the favorite and Munroe is looking to cause the upset. Both are southpaws and both are undefeated at the weight.
Round One
The two are feeling each other out, its crucial that Munroe breaks his usual habit of starting slow. Good first round to start things off, Munroe sets up camp in the centre of the ring with Nishioka working on the outside. Nishioka is constantly moving around Munroe, looking to connect with the jab. Munroe is content to maintain position, occasionally putting punches together to put Nishioka on the back foot throughout the round. Nishioka is the busier of the two boxers and takes the round, but encouraging start from Munroe. 10-9 Nishioka.
Round Two
Munroe starts off aggressively in the second, charging forward and briefly pinning Nishioka against the rope. Nishioka takes a couple of big shots fo the body but spins off of the ropes. Munroe closes the distance and gets a few punches whilst they’re clinching. Very similar to the first round, with Murnoe moving forward from the center of the ring whilst Nishioka works the jab off the back foot. Nishioka takes the round with a great last minute, connecting with a couple of straight punches that seem to visibly effect the champion. Good stuff 19-19.
Round Three
Nishioka was looking very tired in the break between the two rounds but produces a better performance in this third round. His boxing looks far more fluid than in the first two rounds, working the jab and outworking the challenger. While the dynamic wasn’t much different to the first round, Nishioka was quicker to the punch and denied his opponent the space to put his punches together. Munroe is showing plenty of heart and determination, and his guard is excellent, but Nishioka landed the better of the punches throughout that round. 29-28 to Nishioka.
Round Four
Really good start to the round from Munroe, who takes the center of the ring and is putting the punches together. Whereas throughout the first third Nishioka was outworking the Brit, Munroe has now established a pace that whilst comfortable is allowing him to land flush repeatedly. Munroe connects with the jab repeatedly and towards the end brings down the right hand and right crosses. Nishioka seems to be wilting under the pressure of what has been a disciplined, powerful peformance from Munroe. 38-38.
Round Five
Nishioka misses with a wild uppercut, and gets the worst of an exchange on the inside with Munroe landing some good hooks to the body and short left hands. Nishioka tries to chase down Munroe with wild punches, and catches him with a big left hand. Munroe is staggered and Nishioka looks to pounce, unloading big straight punches that seemingly have Munroe reeling. Munroe manages to stablize the situation, connects with some jabs and sees out the round after a genuine scare. Another shift in momentum, in an excellent that has ebbed and flowed throughout. Nishioka’s round (despite what Sky says) 48-47 to Nishioka.
Round Six
Munroe looks lively after a bad fifth but Nishioka is reengerized after hurting Munroe. Munroe tries to push the action from the center, but Nishioka is comfortable of his back foot. Munroe misses with a left hook and Nishioka is finding more success with that left hand. Nishioka is starting to force Munroe to chase him but he can’t completely break through the excellent defense of the challenger. Nishioka is looking busier in this round, with Munroe lacking the opportunity to really impose himself close up. Munroe landed some good punches towards the end but its not enough to steal the round. 58-56 to Nishioka.
Round Seven
Munroe starts off the better, working the jab well and landing with short punches on the inside. Munroe coming forward throughout the round but Nishioka connects with a big body hook. Munroe is on the back foot, digging the elbows low to protect his rib cage as Nishioka tries to follow up. That’s a bad blow to endue for Munroe, as it now means he has to protect himself on the type of close-up exchanges that he was having the most success in. Nishioka spends the rest of the round trying to follow up with more body shots, but Munroe’s defense is tight. Towards the Munroe catches Nishioka and opens up a cut above the eye. But again its not enough to steal the round. 68-65 to Nishioka.
Round Eight
With Munroe trying to push the action he leaves himself open to repeated punches to the mid-section, as Nishioka is finally able to follow up on the damage he inflicted in the seventh round. Nishioka is looking far more comfortable in this round, moving smoothly around the ring as he sets up angles and dominats the round off the back foot. Munroe is moving forward but the aggression isn’t effective, its Nishioka whose dictating where the fight is taking place. Another round for Nishioka and the fight is running away from Munroe. 78-74 to Nishioka.
Round Nine
A small miscue from Sky, who despite the WBC rules allowing for the announcement of the scores after the 4th and 8th rounds don’t have anyone who can translate the announcement. But judging by the cheers we can assume that Nishioka is ahead. Both fighters are tiring, with Nishioka fighting within himself and Munroe struggling to cut off the ring and set up angles. Nishioka is looking more raggered than he has in previous rounds but he has enough quality to outpoint an increasingly predictable challenger. 88-83.
Round Ten
Nishioka takes control early on, moving comfortably and landing the jab at will. Nishioka really has boxed incredibly well off his back foot, using his movement to set up angles and pick punches against his increasingly stationary opponent. Munroe is clearly tiring and Nishioka is able to slip in another hard body hook. Nishioka follows up by pinning him against the ropes and lands several unanswered shots until Munroe spins off. Nishioka is in complete control and Munroe needs a hail mary. 98-92.
Round Eleven
A dominant round for Nishioka, who connects with more of the body shots that have done so much to take this fight away from Munroe. Nishioka is showing tremendous accuracy, popping the jab and digging in the body shots with razor-thin precision. Nishioka is looking a class above a Munroe who whilst showing tremendous heart has clearly run out of ideas. 108-111.
Round Twelve
A good round to close things, with Munroe coming out strong with the jab. Nishioka responds with an absolutely blistering flurry, throwing a blizzard of accurate right-left combinations that has Munroe reeling. Tremendous handspeed shown there. Munroe tries to get back into the round, but Nishioka is able to cut off any rally with a body shot. Nishioka comes close to finishin with two terrific flurries towards the end, showing tremendous handspeed. He sees out the round and surely has won a comfortable points decision after a bad opening third. I have it 118-110 to Nishioka. The three judges all have it 119-109 to the champion, who impressed in retaining against a determined and gutsy challenger. Disappointing for Munroe but a really good fight, he brought plenty of heart and showed the ability to threaten the champion until the repeated shots to the body took their toll. He has nothing to be ashamed of, he just got outclassed by a fighter in Nishioka who was simply a class above.
Toshiaki Nishioka defeated Rendall Munroe via unanimous decision (119-109, 119-109, 119-109).
This concludes our live coverage of this WBC Super Banatamweight Title fight. Stay with Inside Fights for all the latest news from the world of mixed martial arts and boxing.
