Nery captures bantamweight title by knocking out Yamanka

Sub Lead15-Aug-17by John J. Raspanti

By Anthony Cocks

Luis Nery

Undefeated Mexican power puncher Luis ’Pantera’ Nery 24-0 (18) put a four round beatdown on WBC and Ring bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka 27-1-2 (19) to win his first world championship at Shimazu Arena in Kyoto, Japan on Tuesday night.

The 22-year-old Nery from Tijuana showed no respect for the long-reigning champion, who was making the 13th defense of the WBC title he won from Christian Esquivel in 2011.

The 34-year-old Japanese looked all of his years as he struggled to find his angles and range against his fellow southpaw. Even his two-inch height and three-inch reach advantage did little to help him keep Nery at bay.

Nery started fast and had little difficulty getting past Yamanaka’s long right jab to land crushing left crosses to the champion’s head in the first two rounds. In the third round Yamanaka seemed to settle into his rhythm, working his stick into Nery’s face with regularity to control the distance.

But if Yamanaka thought he had turned the tide he was sadly mistaken.

Nery came charging out of his corner to start the fourth and instantly took up where he left off at the end of the second round, mauling Yamanaka and bulling him around the ring as he landed blow after blow.

Luis Nery

It was all one-way traffic and by late in the round Yamanaka’s cornermen had seen enough, entering the ring to save their charge from further punishment.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:29 of the fourth round.

With the victory Nery announces his arrival on the scene as one of the new breed of talented, exciting fighters competing at the world class level.

Coming into the fight Yamanaka was ranked pound-for-pound #10 by The Ring magazine. The same publication ranked Nery at #6 at bantamweight.

In September last year Yamanaka claimed the vacant Ring bantamweight title with a seventh round TKO of Panamanian former champion Anselmo Moreno in a rematch of their 2015 battle that ended in a split decision.