Unbeaten hard-puncher Takashi Uchiyama (14-0, 11 KOs), 130, impressively captured the WBA super-feather belt when he took the initiative with his good left leads from the start, piled up points and finally caught defending champ Juan Carlos Salgado (22-1-1, 16 KOs), a previously unbeaten Mexican, en route to a fine stoppage at 2:48 of the twelfth and final round on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. Uchiyama’s explosive right dropped the fading champ midway in the last session. Referee Raul Caiz Sr. (US) allowed him to go on, but the Japanese challenger’s follow-up assault was so furious that he called a halt to save Salgado from further punishment. It was a very remarkable coronation of the best Japanese prospect in the beginning of the new year. Before the stoppage, all the judges had favored the aggressive challenger, as follows: Tom Miller and Rafael Ramos (both US) both 107-102, and Chalerm Prayadsab (Thailand) 106-103, for Uchiyama. (More to come)


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