Rendall Munroe’s Hugh task of beating world champion Toshiaki Nishioka on away ground and taking his WBC super-bantamweight title failed on Sunday night..
Not for the fact that Rendall was lacking too much in his own abilities, bravery and will to succeed, seep from his pours, it was just the fact that the champion from Tokyo Japan was just too good.
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The Leicester binman lost a wide unanimous points decision to the outstanding Nishioka34, who was at the top of his game in the Sumo Arena.
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Nishioka, fighting in-front of his adoring public including his wife and child at ringside, was so much better than we had expected and at times during the contest took Munroe to school with his lightening fast combinations and his great ability to stay just out of range, which saw Munroe’s punches continually fall short of there target allowing Nishioka to punish him on the counter.
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The slippery champion was at times like a wet bar of soap and Munroe was having to throw three and four punches to land one and by that time Nishioka had slipped, scored and danced out of range of Munroes reaching shots that were too have little effect on Nishioka.
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30-year-old Munroe in this his first world title challenge, must be given credit for the way he battled away in the fight. Continually pressing forward with great stamina and resistance, but it just wasn’t enough to pin down the elusive Nishioka and Munroe shipped some really heavy punches and on a couple of occasions during the fight his legs dipped from rib braking hooks from the champion.
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The British challenger did have a good fourth round and won it, landing some stiff right hands, briefly giving his fans the belief that he could have turned the fight around from that point. But in the fifth Nishioka seemed to change his tactics in the fight and began to stand in range of Munroes shots but neatly avoiding much contact has he began to hurt Munroe a big right hand rocking him to his boots.
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The champion tried to cease the opportunity for a stoppage and as Munroe retreated Nishioka let rip with a blurred flurry of shots. Munroe is made of tough stuff and needed to be, has he regained his senses to finish the round with a good left hook of his own, but from then on in the fight became a hit and not be hit show of pugilistic skills of the highest quality from Nishioka and Munroe just couldn’t cut down the ring effectively enough to ever seriously trap him longer enough to count.
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The Fight
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In the seventh round Munroe cut the champion over the right eye with a slashing left cross but the corner did good work to eradicate any problem for him in the rest of the fight.
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Munroe was also showing the battle scars around his right eye and was was beginning to swell around the face from the punches he had shifted but never gave up to the end and refused to wain under pressure, such is the endurance of the working class hero from the Midlands, who holds down his day job on the local council bin run, whilst boxing at the highest level as a professional fighter.
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As the final bell approached, Hishioka finished the fight like it was the first round a boxer with everything in abundance to be a successful world champion and one who as proved his credentials in this his fourth defense of his WBC world championship belt.
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All three of the judges scored the fight 119-109 all in favor of the champion Nishioka and Munroe one of the British fight games loyal and dedicated pros, congratulated the champion and was respectful if not humbled by the realisation of being the best in Europe is still a massive step down from the elite world champions of the division’s.
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Munroe was tearful when it eventually dawned on him he had blown his big chance, the one that all boxers dream of and sacrifice so much to chase. Has he left the ring Munroe punched the corner protector in frustration, to be fair it was the only thing he caught flush all night, but jokes aside all the fans who had followed him over to Japan and the ones at home who had risen that Sunday morning to cheer him on felt it with him.
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But Munroe as now experienced the next step up and will testify to knowing that if you put your toe into the pool of world championship lake, preparation and stamina don’t always account for success when you are in with the best.
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Munroe is still the best super-bantamweight in Europe and could dominate his division again, before moving onto another shot at the big time. There are few boxers who are as determined and professional in there approach to the game and the training of the fighters body as Munroe – and this fight against Nishioka could well be the making or braking of the fighting dustman.
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But people like the down to earth family man and genuinely good person Munroe, don’t go out like that and he will come back from this a better all round boxer and could still well lay claim to a world title before he sweeps up his ring career.
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By Chris Maylett
Related articles
- ‘Boxing Binman’ Rendall Munroe loses to Toshiaki Nishioka (guardian.co.uk)
- Toshiaki Nishioka beats Rendall Munroe on points to retain WBC super-bantamweight title (telegraph.co.uk)
- Munroe loses world title battle (news.bbc.co.uk)
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