The WBA & WBO world light-flyweight title bout, which took place at Korakuen Hall on the night of the 3rd, saw challenger Masataka Taniguchi (Watanabe) suffer a 3-0 unanimous decision loss to champion Rene Santiago (Puerto Rico), failing in his bid to capture the two titles. With this victory, Santiago has now secured three consecutive wins in Japan, following his previous triumphs over current WBC champion Shokichi Iwata and Kyosuke Takami (both of Teiken).
Southpaw Taniguchi began the fight with an effective blend of offense and movement, but Santiago’s reactions proved equally sharp. From the opening round, the two engaged in a riveting exchange. While Taniguchi applied sharp, powerful pressure from a low center of gravity, Santiago’s counters carried a dangerous sense of timing.
The first major turning point arrived in the fifth round. After evading a hook from Taniguchi, Santiago landed a counter right hook that sent the challenger spinning to the canvas for a knockdown. Although Taniguchi rose quickly and did not appear significantly hindered by the damage, the moment clearly bolstered Santiago’s confidence. As Taniguchi increased his footwork in an attempt to recover, Santiago utilized lateral movement to effortlessly slip away and return fire.
In the eighth, Taniguchi skillfully pursued the champion and landed a straight left. Santiago responded immediately with a flurry of three or four punches in a show of competitive fire. Even as the bout entered the late stages, the champion’s agility remained remarkable. Taniguchi ramped up his aggression in the tenth, initiating with a body rush before targeting the head, but the versatile Santiago pivoted away while firing straight shots with both hands. While Taniguchi’s left found its mark at times, he struggled to land further clean follow-ups.
Taniguchi pushed his offense even harder in the final round. However, Santiago utilized the full width of the ring, maintaining his movement and output until the final bell. The judges scored the bout 114–113, 116–111, and 117–110 for the winner in the red corner, Santiago. Despite Taniguchi’s excellent conditioning, he was ultimately outboxed by the champion. “I want to commend Taniguchi for his incredibly brave fight,” Santiago said. Regarding his future, he noted he would “take a short rest” but expressed a desire to “fight in Japan again.” For Taniguchi, the loss marks a failed bid to become a two-division champion following his previous reign as the WBO minimumweight titleholder.
