Corrales retains title with points win over Uchiyama in rematch

WBA super featherweight champion Jezreel Corrales (21-1-1, 8 KOs) defeated former champion Takashi Uchiyama (24-2-1, 20 KOs) by a split decision in a rematch on Saturday night at the Ota-City General Gymasium, in Tokyo, Japan.

Corrales scored a second-round knockout over Uchiyama to win the belt in April. This time, after 12 hard-fought rounds, the Panamanian won by scores of 117-110 and 115-112 on two judges' scorecards, and the third judge scored the bout 114-113 for Uchiyama.

The Japanese fighter had his moments and scored a knockdown with a left hook in the fifth round, but Corrales used his speed and movement to get the better of Uchiyama in most of the rounds.

Also on the card, WBA light flyweight champion Ryochi Taguchi (25-2-2, 11 KOs) and Venezuela's Carlos Canizales (16-0-1, 13 KOs) fought to a 12 round draw.

Japan's Taguchi was the more aggressive but Canizales moved well to avoid the attacks.

The scores were 116-112 for Taguchi, 116-112 for Canizales, and 114-114.