Kazuto Ioka and Joshua Franco fought to a majority draw on New Yr’s Eve in Japan, which means each fighters have retained their 115 lb world titles, and no unification was achieved.
Scores from the judges had been 114-114 and 114-114 from two of the three, with the third scoring it 115-113 for Franco.
Franco (18-1-3, 8 KO) was the busier fighter within the bout, usually the aggressor and arguably out-working his opponent, however Ioka (29-2-1, 15 KO) did land some good pictures and saved the combat shut and aggressive, notably within the latter half of the combat.
The consequence maintains the established order principally, and Franco, 27, will really feel like he acquired the quick finish of the stick on the street, however to be clear for individuals who generally don’t take this into consideration, no, the three judges weren’t native Japanese judges — they had been Stanley Christodoulou of South Africa (who scored it for Franco), Ferlin Marsh of New Zealand, and Jose Roberto Torres of Puerto Rico, and the referee was Melva Santos, additionally of Puerto Rico. Japan can also be notable for having a greater fame than many international locations by way of house fighters not being given the advantage of the doubt or favorable playing cards.
As a lot as Franco will certainly really feel like he acquired a foul break, it’s additionally a combat the place he actually proved his high quality towards a highly-respected, high-level fighter, and I believe this may solely see his inventory rise going into 2023, even with the draw.
For Ioka, 33, it’s not a setback, however it could be an indication that the clock is beginning to tick a bit of loudly.
A rematch might be attainable, in fact, and can be combat for each guys, as this one was. If Franco’s latest profession is any indication, we are able to anticipate them to combat three straight instances over the subsequent 12 months or so.
