It took over a year of waiting for an opportunity, but Mexican top contender Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez made the most of it on Wednesday night becoming a world champion at 130 lb. This, as Nunez traveled to the Far East and delivered a composed and commanding performance to defeat Masanori Rikiishi via unanimous decision and capture the vacant IBF junior lightweight world title.
The bout was the co-feature fight in Yokohama, Japan, that saw WBO bantamweight title holderYoshiki Takei retain his belt in the main event with a devastating 1st-round TKO win over Yuttapong Tongdee.
Meanwhile, Nunez (28-1, 27 KOs), known for his knockout power, went the distance in this one against Rikiishi (16-2, 11 KOs), the home favorite winning by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111.
Nunez was better from the beginning
The 27-year-old Nunez showed heart and resilience and a good right hand in his toughest professional test to date. Despite a spirited display, the lanky southpaw Rikiishi struggled to contain the relentless pressure and heavy combinations from Nunez.
Wednesday night’s title fight was put together after former IBF champion Anthony Cacace of Northern Ireland, relinquished the title rather than fighting Nunez, his mandatory challenger. Cacace opted instead to fight a more lucrative non-title fight with England’s Leigh Wood, whom he defeated by TKO earlier this month.
Back to the bout, from the opening bell, Nunez, who’s now won 18 fights in a row since an early career loss, set the pace, using aggressive footwork and powerful body shots to close the distance and neutralize the height and reach advantage of his Rikishi. Though some of his early right hands were partially blocked, some still scored and clearly wore on Rikiishi as the bout wend on.
Nunez’s consistent pressure began to tell on his Japanese opponent. He mixed his attacks effectively, punishing Rikiishi’s midsection before going upstairs, sapping the Japanese fighter’s stamina. Even as Rikiishi fought back in bursts, landing a few well-timed shots of his own, the momentum remained with the visitor.
By the tenth round, Rikiishi’s energy reserves were clearly dwindling. Nunez rocked him with two punishing right hands, and though Rikiishi pushed forward, he was again met with sharp counters and a high volume of punches.
The final two rounds saw Rikiishi attempt to mount a last stand, landing a couple of clean shots, but Nunez stayed composed, finishing strong with thudding punches and tight defense. A massive right hand in the closing seconds of the fight underlined his dominance and sealed a well-earned victory on foreign soil.
What’s Next for “Sugar Nunez?”
With this win, Nunez adds a world title to his resume and firmly positions himself as a rising star in the junior lightweight division, which has the likes of Rafael Espinoza or Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico or O’Shaquie Foster of the U.S. as the other champions.
