The WBO has a new junior bantamweight champion after Phumelele Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs) unseated Kosei Tanaka (20-2, 11 KOs) via split decision at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night.
The score was 114-113 (twice) for Cafu, and 114-113 for Tanaka.
What was expected to be a routine defense of Tanaka’s title turned out to be absurd. South African Cafu, 30, dragged him into contention and succeeded in the trade.
Tanaka, currently ranked No. 4 by The Ring at junior bantamweight, started well enough, landing range and sharp outside shots. But in the second heat, Cafu started to sit down with his fists.
The 29-year-old Japanese champion, a classic straight boxer who throws hard shots, raised his performance level in the third. Picking up and punching to the outside, he showed great in-ring and exit skills, but Cafu went with him, landing the hardest blows.
Cafu, who played the world title for the first time, showed good maturity in the fourth. As a natural opponent, he lured Tanaka to close the distance and the local fighter obliged. Tanaka lands a jab and the two trade evenly in the back half of the round.
Cafu grew in confidence in the fifth. An overhand right hand dropped Tanaka, not for the first time in his career. But as we have become accustomed to, Tanaka hit the count and quickly recovered, seeing out the round without a problem.
HE DOESN’T SEE IT COMING.
Tanaka came down 😳 #NakataniChitpatana pic.twitter.com/WLJpZBMHS8
– Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 14, 2024
Cafu continued to apply pressure in sixth place. His physical strength forced Tanaka to stand and trade when he could have been better served relying on cat-like agility and punching outside and inside. But in this game, you don’t always have a choice.
Tanaka got back into his rhythm in the eighth, but a pep talk from Cafu’s trainer Colin Nathan between rounds sparked Cafu to lift again. He started well with a jab and cut Tananka with a right hand midway through the round. But the champion was determined.
Cafu kept the fight on his terms with 10. A three-punch combination circled Tanaka’s guard early and he had no choice but to stand in the pocket and trade.
The battle hangs in the balance in the championship rounds.
Cafu, a natural opponent, waited out Tanaka for too long in the penultimate round, with the champion landing the stinging shots. But in the deciding round it was Cafu who got the better of him, pulling Tanaka into contention and landing the hardest blows.
“This is all I wanted, my whole life, my whole career,” said Cafu after the fight.
The fight was close enough that a rematch would be natural. And there’s no fight fan who watched tonight that won’t want to see it again.
