Shigeoka edges out Salva in first fight since Jerusalem loss

Today (August 24) in Osaka, Japan, Yudai Shigeoka rebounded from his first career defeat, a shocking one at the hands of Melvin Jerusalem five months ago, with a unanimous decision win over the Philippines’ Samuel Salva.

Shigeoka, a 27-year-old from Tokyo, had been edged on the cards by Jerusalem in March and with that loss went his WBC minimumweight belt. It was imperative therefore that he returned to the ring quickly and that he returned, more importantly, to the win column.

This he did in Osaka, outpointing Salva, also 27, by scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94 after 10 rounds.

For Salva, this marked his first fight outside his native Philippines, yet still he managed to push the favorite close. He started the fight rather well, in fact, landing more than one solid right hand, and this forced Shigeoka to get his act together and find his rhythm. He did just that, too, and indeed it wasn’t long before Shigeoka, a southpaw, had Salva under control.

With the win, the Japanese star’s record now reads 9-1 (5). Salva, meanwhile, falls to 20-2 (13).